Forward, Not Backward
by cupid10
Summary: Post 5x07
1. Chapter 1

**Forward, Not Backward**

Disclaimer: (sigh) I do not own anything

A/N: Post engagement epi. Some exceptions -- Peyton never asked Lucas not to marry Lindsay. When she told him she was letting him go, she never said the line about Keith and Karen. Lucas never asked Lindsay to move up the wedding. Brooke doesn't see the ring because Lindsay goes to see Haley, not Brooke. There's no Nanny Carrie. Deb was Naley's first choice. Library epi. never happened.

Flashbacks and thoughts in _italics_.

* * *

The smell of coffee roused her from her slumber. Rolling onto her back, she tried to open her eyes, only to find her lashes were sticking together. Raising her hands to her eyes, she started rubbing the, suddenly realizing that she could feel how puffy her eyes were under her fingertips. _Have I been crying? _As soon as the thought entered her mind, she was hit with flashbacks from the night before.

_Mia playing at TRIC_

_Kissing Lucas, Lucas kissing her back_

_Lindsay standing there with an engagement ring on her finger_

_Going back to TRIC to get her copies of 'An Unkindness of Ravens'_

_Coming home and gathering all of her mementos of Lucas_

_Sitting in front of the fireplace, trying to burn away the presence of Lucas Scott from her life_

_That was how Brooke found her; sitting in front of the fire, burning picture after picture…letter after letter, tears streaming down her face. Her best friend had quietly asked her what was wrong, and Peyton had told her, through her sobs, that Lucas was getting married. Brooke had gathered Peyton in her arms and told that she was there for her; that Peyton was not going to go through this alone. And Peyton believed her._

She was pulled back to the present by the sound of cups clinking together. Getting out of bed, she walked to the joint bathroom to brush her teeth.

Ten minutes later she walked into the kitchen to find Brooke sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper.

"Morning B. Davis" she said, fixing herself a cup of coffee.

"Morning P. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Brooke. Please don't worry about me."

"You can't tell me not to worry Peyton. I love you and I hate seeing you hurt like this. I have half a mind to go tell Lucas off."

"Please don't. You and Lucas are still friends. Don't let this get between that."

Brooke paused before asking, "And what about you and Lucas?"

"What about us?"

"Are you guys friends now or what?"

Before Peyton could answer, Brooke's phone went off. She listened as Brooke talked to who she assumed was Millicent.

Hanging up the phone, Brooke got up and turned to her best friend, "I have to go. Don't think this conversation is over." With that, Brooke grabbed her car keys and headed out the door.

Peyton let out a little laugh before putting her cup in the sink and headed off to take a shower.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I like Haley, just didn't really like her in the beginning of this season.

* * *

Peyton sat behind her desk listening to the tracks that Mia had laid down that morning. She was in the middle of arranging tour dates for Mia, when Haley walked into her office.

"Hey Hales, what can I do for you?"

"Well, you can start by telling me what the hell's wrong with you."

Peyton looked at her confused until Haley decided to be more specific, "I'm talking about you kissing Lucas."

"Oh," was all Peyton could think to say.

"Oh?! Oh? That's all you can say? You know, I really thought you'd changed Peyton. We're not kids anymore. Lucas and Lindsay are together now and you have to stop getting in between that. You had your chance Peyton and you blew it!" Haley couldn't believe Peyton's nerve.

At first Peyton felt bad. She knew kissing Lucas was wrong and she wished that she could take it back, but sitting there listening to Haley yell at her just made Peyton angry.

"For your information, Haley, Lucas kissed me back. And who the hell are you to judge me? If I remember correctly you kissed Chris Keller and then took off with him."

"That was different" Haley replied.

"Your damn right. It is different. Because you were MARRIED to Nathan. So why don't you march your self-righteous ass right back out my office." And with that, she sat back down and continued her work.

Haley stood there stunned for a moment before turning around and leaving.

* * *

Brooke Davis was starving. That's all she could think about as she stood at the take out counter waiting for her order.

"Brooke!" Turning at the sound of her name, she looked around and her eyes landed on Haley. Sitting with Lindsay. Walking over she greeted them.

"Hey guys. What's up?"

"Oh nothing…just having a celebratory lunch. Lucas asked me to marry him," Lindsay said casually, like she was talking about the weather.

Brooke, pretending she didn't already know, squealed and asked to see the ring; and then she wished she hadn't. She blinked once, twice, three times; but the image in front of her still stayed the same. Plastering a smile on her face, she said congratulations before saying she had to go pick up her food. Thankfully, when she got to the counter, her food was there. Paying and leaving, Brooke only had one thought in her head. _Wait 'til I see that ass._


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Ok, let's say for argument's sake, that the ring Luke had was not Keith's. He didn't have enough time to ask Karen since his proposal was out of the blue. He bought the ring when he got to LA. Dialogue taken from OTH. I own nothing.

* * *

Brooke Davis was on a mission. She knew Peyton didn't want her to get caught up in her drama with Lucas, but this was too much. She found Lucas sitting in his office going over plays for his team. Walking in, she closed the door before speaking.

"You know, for a man who made millions off his first book, you really are a cheap bastard." Lucas looked up at her. He had no idea what she was going on about. "Brooke-"

"Did you really think I wouldn't recognize the ring? Hell, I friggin' wore it three years ago, Lucas! You couldn't go out and buy her another ring? You had to give her Peyton's?"

"It's not Peyton's ring, Brooke," Lucas argued.

"Oh really? I wonder what Lindsay would say if she knew it's the same ring you were going to give to Peyton."

"I don't know what you're insinuating, nor do I think I like it. More importantly, it's none of your business. You can't lay claim to something that you didn't have in the first place."

Brooke smirked at him, "Whatever you say, Luke."

Lucas continued, ignoring her, "And for your information, Lindsay found the ring on her own."

Brooke didn't give him a chance to continue. "And you are too much of a coward to tell her that you bought that ring for Peyton years ago. Let me guess, Lindsay doesn't even know you proposed to Peyton." When Lucas looked away from her, she got her answer. "I'm glad Peyton never saw the ring. Because then it'll be one more way in which you've hurt her. And I refuse to have you destroy her anymore."

Opening the door, she paused in the doorway, "Sooner or later, Lindsay's gonna realize just how much of a joke your relationship is; because you were, are, and will always be in love with Peyton Sawyer."

**XXXXX**

An hour after Brooke left, Lucas found himself with another visitor. This time it was the subject of his last conversation. A conversation he was still in denial about, because let's face it - denial was Lucas Scott's best friend.

Standing up, he came around to stand in front of his desk. Peyton stood where she was for a few moments, not sure where to start. It was Lucas who broke the silence. "Peyton, listen. Last night – "

"Don't Luke," Peyton cut him off, "I shouldn't have kissed you and you shouldn't have kissed me back. It was wrong and it was a mistake, on both our parts. But that's…that's not what I'm here for, Lucas" She stepped closer to him and Lucas could see the tears she was trying desperately to hold back. He felt tears sting his eyes too.

"I was reminded today, in a roundabout way, that the most perfect act of love is sacrifice. That if you love someone as much as you claim to love them, then you want them to be happy. Even if their happiness isn't with you." Taking his hand in hers, she gathered her strength for the last bit of her speech. "And I do Lucas. I love you. I think I have since the first moment we locked eyes. And it is gonna suck; but if what you want, is for me to let go, then I'm gonna do it. Be happy Luke. I want that with all my heart." Kissing his hand, she dropped it and made her way out of his office, and what she intended to be, out of his life as well.

What she didn't see, was the lone tear that made its way down his cheek.


	4. Chapter 4

**2 days later – TRIC**

Peyton had spent the last two days trying to get her label off the ground. Mia had left for tour the day before, so Peyton decided there was no better time to start looking for new talent. There wasn't much point in going home early every night seeing as Brooke was away on business in New York.

The bubbly brunette had left after her conversation with Lucas; the one Peyton still had no knowledge of. The house was quiet and lonely, and reminded Peyton of all those nights she spent in her old house. So her days were spent in her office, either playing pool to kill time, or on the phone with some old music contacts in LA. When evening rolled around, she found herself in bars, beer in hand, listening to people of various ages sing on stage.

One band in particular caught her eye. It was a group of 3 boys, no older than 20, that called themselves Mixed Signals. Peyton didn't know where the name came from, nor was she sure she wanted to know. She approached them and offered them a chance to cut a demo. She had yet to decide if she was going to sign them.

By the time she got home, she was too tired to care about the silence and the loneliness. She was glad Brooke was coming home tonight. The blonde missed her best friend's presence more than she realized. She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice the figure in her doorway.

"Hey," she looked up as she heard the voice.

"Lucas...what are you doing here?" surprised to see him. She hadn't seen him since she left his office two days ago.

"Well, the wedding isn't for another six months or so but I just wanted to get a head start; I know it may take a while to find some one and then book them…" he trailed off, "I just wanted to ask if you could find a band for the wedding."

"I'm sorry Lucas. I can't."

"Why not?"

"When I said I was letting you go, I meant out of my life as well."

"So, what? We can't even be friends?"

"Friends? Lucas, if I know one truth from the entire time I've known you, it's that you and I were never friends."

"Peyton…you can't mean that," he said, feeling hurt.

"Oh, I think I do," her phone rang. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do."

He took that as the dismissal it was meant as and left her office, confused.

**XXXXXX**

Watching Lucas leave, Peyton answered her phone, "Peyton Sawyer."

"Hey P. Sawyer."

"Hey Brooke. Where are you?"

"I'm at the airport, waiting for my flight. I have some time to kill so I decided to call ya."

"Aww… I fell so special, Davis. So what's up? How were your meetings?"

"Successful. Macy's agreed to carry my clothing line; as for the other meeting… well, I'll tell you about it when I get home."

Peyton smiled "That's great, Brooke."

"Yeah, yeah. So, I was sitting here and all of a sudden I realized that you never answered my question: Are you and Lucas friends?"

Releasing a sigh, the curly blonde sat back in her chair. "No Brooke, we're not. I told him that I was letting him go. I told him I wanted him to be happy. But that doesn't mean we can go back to how things used to be."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Well I want you to be happy, P. Sawyer. So if cutting Lucas out is what's best for you; if it's what you need to move on, then I'll support you."

"Thank you, Brooke."

"Don't thank me, Peyton. Lucas and I are friends, but you're my family. You always will be. And that means you always come first. I know things got pretty bad in high school, but we got through them. We wouldn't be Brooke and Peyton if we didn't. So no matter what, I have your back. And I know you have mine."

Peyton blinked back her tears, "I love you, Brookie Monster."

"You better," and with that she hung up.

**XXXXXX**

Brooke Penelope Davis had always been an early riser. Her flight had gotten in late last night, and by the time she got home, Peyton was already in bed. She contemplated laying in bed for another hour, but she was too excited, and she had some news to share with her broody roommate.

Bounding out of bed, she hopped down the stairs, and made her way to Peyton's room. Opening the door, she stood there for a minute observing her friend. Peyton was lying on her stomach, both arms wrapped around the pillow under her head, her left leg bent at an angle. Tiptoeing to the bed, Brooke paused a second before pouncing on Peyton, straddling her back.

"Wake up, Blondie!" Brooke shouted.

Groaning, Peyton buried her head further into the pillow. "Go 'way, skank."

"No can do, bitch" Brooke replied, "it's time to rise."

Peyton opened one eye to look at her clock. "Brooooke," she whined, "it's only 7. It's too early to shine."

"Well too bad. Now get up, get showered, and meet me in the kitchen in an hour." She leaned down and kissed Peyton on the cheek.

"Jeez, Brooke. If I wasn't awake before, I am now. Your morning breath can wake the dead."

Climbing off the bed, Brooke made her way to the door. "Ha-ha. I'm gonna take a shower too. 1 hour, Peyton. I have to talk to you."

Rolling over, Peyton took a minute to stretch. Letting out a yawn, she realized she could still taste the alcohol she consumed last night. It wasn't enough to make her drunk or give her a hangover, but it was enough to leave an aftertaste. Maybe Brooke wasn't the only one with morning breath.

45 minutes later, Peyton emerged from her room, making her way to the kitchen. She started a pot of coffee and poured a bowl of cereal. Walking to the front door, she unlocked it and picked up the newspaper. Closing the door, she walked back to the kitchen and plopped down on a stool. She had just finished her cereal and was reading the comics, when Brooke came down the stairs. She watched as Brooke poured herself a cup of coffee.

"So Brookie Cookie, what are we talking about?"

Brooke eyed her for a moment before speaking. "I want a baby."

Peyton sat there, stunned. Out of all the things she expected to come out of Brooke's mouth, that wasn't it. In fact, she didn't know what to expect; but Brooke wanting a baby was the furthest thing from her thoughts.

"I can see I totally shocked you speechless. So, let me start from the beginning. This isn't just a spur-of-the-moment decision. I've wanted this since before coming back to Tree Hill. Actually, it's one of the reasons I came home. I feel like I'm missing something from my life, Pey. I have money, I have fame, I have great friends, and I have you. By all accounts, I should be exploding with happiness; but I feel like there's this void in my heart, and I really think a baby will fill it."

Taking a breath, she continued. "Remember that other meeting in New York I mentioned?" Peyton nodded.

"I was meeting with an adoption agency. Now, it wasn't easy convincing the social worker. I'm single and my fashion line keeps me busy, plus they'd have to come inspect the house… and don't even get me started on my mother," Brooke rambled.

"Wait," Peyton found her voice, "Victoria was there?"

"No, but being my mother, they called her for a reference. I tried to warn the social worker that it wasn't a good idea seeing as I fired Queen Bitch a couple of weeks ago. And being the shrew that she is, she told the social worker that I could barely take care of myself, amongst some other distasteful things. She gave the worker my dad's phone number, thinking that he'd back her up."

"How did that go?"

"Oh my god… I thought for sure I was ruined, but my dad, not ever wanting to agree with anything Victoria agrees to, gave the social worker an outstanding reference; saying that any child would be blessed to have me as a mother, and your not saying anything, Peyton. You don't think I can do this can you? You think I'll screw up. Oh God, you're right, I'm gonna – "

"Brooke, breathe!" Peyton stopped her before she worked herself into a frenzy. "For once, I'm glad you're parents don't get along. And I think you'll be an amazing mother. You're Brooke Davis. You can do anything you set your mind to.

Standing up and putting her arm around Brooke's shoulder, Peyton said, "Besides, you won't be doing this alone, B. I'll be right by your side; every step of the way." The brunette released the breath she'd been holding. She was afraid of doing it alone, regardless of how much she wanted a baby; but hearing her best friend's words made her feel better. And with Peyton by her side, she knew she'd be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I know adoptions take a long time, but hey, this ain't the real world. I pull the strings here. Hehe…

* * *

**1 week later**

The sun filtering through the windows was the first thing that registered in her sleep filled mind. She was about to pull the cover over her head when she realized that her room didn't have a window. Panic set in as she realized there was an arm pinning her to the bed. Opening her eyes slowly to adjust to the bright sun, she took in the situation. She was sprawled on her back, bed sheets tangled with her legs, and her right arm was resting beside her head. Her left arm was lying on top of the tanned arm wrapped around her waist.

Turning her head slowly, her eyes landed on the figure beside her. Starting at the top, her eyes took him in. Spiky brown hair, messed up, as she recalled, by her fingers; gray eyes, which at the moment were closed. She remembered that his eyes were the first thing she noticed about him. Resuming her journey, her eyes took in his strong jaw, down to his broad shoulders and muscular arms. He was lying on his stomach, so she couldn't tell if he had washboard abs or not. A memory flashed in her mind: small hands traveling over a broad chest, down to strong abdominal muscles. _OK, maybe not model material, but_ _he's no slouch either_. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt him shift beside her.

Looking up, she found him watching her. "Were you checking me out, Peyton? I thought you had your fill at the club."

She smirked at him, "Wow, you remember my name."

"Impressed, huh?"

"Considering we met last night, very. And before you ask, yes I remember yours too."

"Well thank god for small favors. Otherwise I'd feel like a cheap one-night stand," he teased.

"Actually, you should feel special. I don't usually do one-night stands. In fact, you're the second guy I've done this with," she said, remembering Pete from Fallout Boy.

He chuckled as she got up, wrapping the sheet around her nude form. "Consider me honored." He watched as she made her way to the bathroom. Looking around the room, he found the TV remote on the bedside table. Turning on the TV, he got out of bed and picked up his clothes that were scattered around the room. After dressing, he settled down to watch TV, waiting for Peyton to finish her shower. He figured he'd shower when he got home.

Standing under the shower spray, Peyton let the hot water soothe her muscles. She remembered the panic that spread through her when she realized she wasn't in her own room. In fact, she wasn't even in Tree Hill. She thought back to the events of the last week.

Two days after Brooke came back from NY, she received a call from the adoption agency. They had a six month old baby girl named Angela, whose parents had died in a car accident. A social worker was contacted in Tree Hill and was asked to do a house inspection the same day. The next day Brooke was informed that she was to go to New York and sign legal documents that would officially make her a mother to baby Angie.

_2 days ago_

_Peyton was in her room when Brooke came home. "Peyton!"_

_Coming out of her room, she saw Brooke fly up the stairs. Following her, Peyton stopped in the doorway of Brooke's room. She watched as Brooke tore through her room like a tornado, flinging a suitcase on top of the bed, and going back and forth from the dresser to the bed, filling the suitcase with clothes._

"_Brooke, what's wrong? What are you doing?" Peyton asked, her heart pounding._

_Brooke didn't stop, but she did start talking a mile-a-minute. All Peyton could understand were the words 'mine', baby', and 'papers'. At the risk of getting caught up in Hurricane Brooke, the blond stepped in front of her friend._

"_Ok stop." Peyton halted her, "Now start again and slow down."_

_Brooke took a deep breath. "The agency called. They're giving me a baby, Peyton. She's gonna be all mine."_

After that, amongst the many tears and long hugs, Peyton had helped her pack and then drove her to the airport. That same afternoon, Peyton decided to sign Mixed Signals. The boys had a lot of potential, and Peyton wanted to be the one to get them to the top.

The next day, she got them a gig at a club called Orchids. It was in Markham, a town about an hour away from Tree Hill. It was opening night, and Peyton thought it was a great way for the boys to get some publicity. They played 3 sets before Peyton told them it was enough. The crowd loved them, and she assured them that if they kept at it and worked hard, the crowds would only get bigger from here on out. They had the rest of the night off to have some fun before heading back home tomorrow.

So for the next 4 hours or so, Peyton lost herself in the music, drinking, having fun; she even danced with quite a few guys.

She was coming back from the ladies' room when she bumped into him. She got lost in the grays of his eyes before realizing that he was talking to her. He was actually one of the DJs. He had just finished his set for the night, leaving his friend to take over.

They danced and drank and talked until it was close to closing time. Once they stood outside the club, he leaned over and kissed her. She was shocked for a moment before giving in. She had never been the kind of girl to sleep around, hell Lucas was the last guy she slept with. Making a quick decision, she invited him back to her motel room.

So that's where she found herself now, standing in a motel bathroom, with a practical stranger in the next room. The thought alone should have freaked her out, considering her time with Psycho Derek, but to her surprise, it didn't.

Realizing the water was running cold, she shut off the tap and stepped out of the tub. Wrapping a towel around her body, she passed her hand over the fogged up mirror in front of her. Looking at her reflection, Peyton Sawyer came to a conclusion.

She was always going to be in love with Lucas Scott. She knew she would never love anyone the way she loves him; but that didn't mean her life had to stop. She wasn't looking for a relationship; she just wanted to have fun. She wasn't going to cry over and pine for a guy who didn't cry over and pine for her.

With that thought in her head, she opened the bathroom door and walked over to her overnight bag. Dropping the towel, she quickly dressed, not feeling the least bit shy in front of the man lying on the bed. Zipping her bag shut, she picked up her car keys from the small table in the corner before turning to the bed.

"Checkout's in half an hour, you need a lift?"

"No thanks. I already called a cab."

Smiling, she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. Walking to the door, she turned around to look at him.

"It was nice meeting you, David. If you're still single and you find yourself in Tree Hill, come find me." And with that, she opened the door and walked out.

* * *

A/N: Don't worry guys, Leyton interaction soon. Don't know if it will be a good or bad meeting.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you guys for all the reviews. I'm glad you like it. It helps, since this is my first fanfic EVER.

* * *

After returning from Markham, the next 2 days were a whirlwind of activity. Brooke decided to turn the guest room into a nursery for Angie. She was gonna sleep in Brooke's room until the room was ready. And on top of that, Brooke was having Angie christened. Which meant there was gonna be a party afterwards, because Brooke was Brooke; why should she pass up an opportunity to party?

Paint was bought, furniture picked out, and invitations were sent out. Brooke had asked Haley if they could have the party at her house, to which Haley agreed. Peyton wasn't too keen on that fact. Lucas would be there, and her and Haley weren't on solid ground. Never the less, it wasn't about her; she was doing this for Brooke.

Peyton had never seen Brooke happier. When Peyton had come home from Markham, Brooke was already there, walking down the stairs, baby in her arms. She handed Angie over and promptly informed her best friend that she and Mouth were going to be Angie's godparents.

So that's where she found herself today. Standing in Haley and Nathan's kitchen, watching as Mouth, Millicent and Skillz played Guitar Hero; Jamie was running around in his red cape fighting invisible enemies. Looking around, she found Lucas, Lindsay, Nathan, and Haley quietly talking amongst themselves. Not too far from them, Brooke stood, feeding a now legal and official, Angela Rebecca Davis.

When the priest had said Angie's full name in the church, Peyton looked at Brooke, shocked. 'Rebecca' was Anna Sawyer's middle name. When asked later why she chose that name, Brooke simply told Peyton, "I loved your mom, like she was my own." Wiping a stray tear away, Peyton quietly thanked her.

Breaking out of her memory, Peyton walked over to Brooke, "She about ready to hit the hay?"

"Yeah, she's had a long day. So, tell me. What's up with you and Haley?" she whispered the last part.

Peyton glanced over at Haley just in time to see her look away. Looking back at Brooke, she should have known she couldn't hide anything from her bubbly brunette. Besides, it's not like her and Haley were any less obvious. They barely spoke two words to each other.

"Haley saw Lucas and me kissing."

"Oh. Let me guess, Lucas' #1 fan didn't have anything nice to say. Peyton, why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have had this party, or forced you two into the same room together."

"And that's why I didn't tell you. Once again, Brooke, I don't want you caught up in this. It's between me and Haley. I don't want you to feel like you have to choose, Brooke."

"Fine; as long as you remember that you come first. More than 10 years of friendship doesn't compare to 6."

Peyton smiled and looked down at Angie, "As long as you realize, that I come second." With that said, she walked away. Opening the back door, she walked down the steps to stand by the pool.

**XXXXXX**

Lucas debated on whether he should follow her or not. He was coming back from the bathroom when he saw her go outside. Glancing around, he saw Brooke place Angie in the bassinet before joining everyone, who were now gathered in front of the television, taking turns with the guitar.

It had been a week since he saw Peyton, let alone talked to her. He figured that was more than enough time to rethink her decision on not being friends.

Slipping out the door, he found her sitting in a lounge chair by the pool. "Peyton," he called her name.

Peyton sighed and rolled her eyes. Why couldn't he just leave her be? "What now, Lucas?"

_I guess she hasn't changed her mind_, Lucas thought. "I can see you haven't changed your mind about us being friends."

"You think?" she replied sarcastically. "I haven't looked at you once today."

"I thought…never mind. I know you said you don't' want to be friends now. But Peyton, I don't understand how you can say that we've never been friends."

"What's not to understand, Scott? From the moment we met, all throughout high school, we secretly harbored feelings for each other. We just didn't want to admit it to ourselves because we didn't want to get hurt. Brooke and Jake, hell, even Nathan, they were a way out; someone we could hide behind."

The whole time she was talking, she still didn't look at him. But standing up now, she turned to face him.

"Don't get me wrong. I loved Jake, and I know you loved Brooke. But the feelings we had between us, were stronger that what we felt for them."

"Yeah, but Peyton, we still talked, we still hung out together," Lucas said. "Why can't we do that now?" he asked, not understanding.

"You know how I feel, Lucas. You may not feel the same way; it doesn't really matter. What matters, is that I won't do it again. I did it all through high school. I'm not going to do it now. I didn't want to hurt Brooke. So I kept my mouth shut; I buried my feelings until I couldn't do it anymore, and it blew up in my face," she said, remembering the time she told Brooke she still had feelings for Lucas.

"I would love to tell you that I'd rather have you in my life as a friend, than to not have you at all, but I can't. We can't be just friends, Lucas. It hurts too much."

Walking away, she left him standing there. She would not let him see her breakdown. Making her way back into the house, she ignored everyone, walked to the front door, and left.

**XXXXXX**

Brooke had noticed that Peyton had been outside for quite some time. Just as she as about to go looking for the blond, Peyton barged through the doors, bypassing everyone else, and left. And Brooke could have sworn she saw tears in those green eyes.

Lindsay had received a phone call before, so she retreated to the dining room. Everyone else had looked at Brooke once Peyton had departed. Realizing that Lucas was nowhere to be found, Brooke put the pieces together.

Marching to the backyard, she confronted Luke, "What the hell was that?"

Lucas turned around at her question. He saw everyone else gathered at the top of the steps behind her. Lindsay wasn't among them. Brooke knew they were there. She chose not to acknowledge them for the moment.

"I don't want to talk about it, Brooke."

"Well that's just too damn bad! You just couldn't leave it alone, could you? Why? Because it's not what you wanted? It wasn't on your terms?" she ranted.

"Let me make this very clear: You go near Peyton again, you talk to her again, and I'll tell Lindsay everything I know."

Lucas was about to open his mouth, but Brooke stopped him, "I'd hate to do that, Lucas. But just so there's no confusion," she turned to look at everyone, making sure she had there attention before turning back to Lucas, "when push come to shove, I have Peyton's back. Always."

That being said, she made her way past everyone, only to find Lindsay standing in the doorway. Looking at her, knowing all eyes were on them, Brooke calmly stated, "I like you, Lindsay. Really, I do. So I'm gonna say this in the nicest way possible. You want a long, happy life as the future Mrs. Lucas Scott? Keep Lucas away from Peyton." And then she was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

Here's the next part.ENJOY!

* * *

Lindsay stood there for a few minutes after Brooke left. She contemplated asking Brooke what she meant, but when she turned to look inside, both mother and child were gone. She had no idea what was going on.

She had received a phone call from her office in New York. It had only taken a few minutes, but by the time she came back, the living room was empty. She noticed everyone standing around outside, so she made her way to the door just in time to hear Brooke "…I have Peyton's back. Always." It was then that she noticed Peyton was nowhere to be found.

Walking further into the sunlight, she asked to be alone with Lucas.

Once everyone was inside and the door was closed, she made her way down to stand in front of her fiancée. She took a moment to look at him. He looked lost and he looked hurt. To Lindsay, he looked like he lost his best friend.

"What's going on, Luke?" she asked. She really didn't know what to make of this situation. "And don't tell me 'nothing'. Brooke just basically told me to keep you on a leash."

Lucas didn't know what to say. He never talked about his relationship with Peyton, with Lindsay. Sure, she read his first novel, but that wasn't the same as going into details about them. Lindsay had already voiced her insecurities when Peyton had first come back home, and Lucas had done his best to assure her that his ex was just that – his ex.

So standing here, he couldn't exactly tell her that he was upset over Peyton. That would only bring on more insecurities. Instead, he settled for half-truths.

"It's no secret that Peyton still has feelings for me, Linds. Brooke was just being protective of her friend. She thinks it's best if I leave Peyton alone for a while; get her used to the fact that you and I are getting married." Lucas wrapped his arms around her. "She just tends to go a little overboard when it comes to Peyton."

Lindsay looked at him. She wasn't sure she believed him, but she didn't have time to argue with him. "We'll talk more when I get back. I have to go to New York for a couple of days."

Lucas sighed, relieved. _Hopefully, she'll forget about this by the time she comes back._

**XXXXXX**

When Brooke got home, she put Angie straight to bed. She knew Peyton was home; her car was outside. Covering the sleeping baby, she was about to go find her friend when she heard sounds coming from the room next to hers.

Walking out of her room, she pushed open the door to the nursery. What she saw in front of her, left her momentarily speechless.

With the exception of the ceiling, Peyton had finished the paint job that they had started the day before. The soft lilac color would blend in perfectly with the white furniture that was to be delivered tomorrow. But what robbed Brooke of her words, was the picture of a sunrise painted on the wall to the left of the door. It was situated just right, so that when the crib was placed, the sun would be looking down on Angie.

"Peyton…that's. It's – holy shit, it's beautiful," Brooke stammered.

The curly blond was so caught up in her art, she jumped at the sound of Brooke's voice. Turning around, she faced her friend.

"Brooke, hey. I didn't hear you come in. Do you like it? I know Angie's gonna get older, she might want something else. I figured we could paint over it, or add more," Peyton rambled.

"Peyton, stop. I love it. Where did you get yellow paint?"

"Oh, from my art supply. I just needed an outlet for these goddamn feelings I have swirling inside me."

Brooke took a good look at her. Her eyes were a bit puffy and a little red, like she had been crying earlier. She cursed Lucas in her head.

"Are you ok?"

"I will be. You know, I meant it when I said I was moving on. But it's not like I can just flip a switch and turn off my feelings. And Lucas isn't making it any easier. What the hell is wrong with that boy? When I ask him to stay, he leaves; and when I tell him to leave me alone, he won't go away!"

Brooke walked up to her and enveloped her in a hug. "Don't worry about that jackass anymore. If he knows what's good for him, he'll stay away. I made sure of that."

Peyton didn't know what she meant by that, nor did she bother to care. She wrapped her arms around her best friend, taking comfort from her.

**2 days later**

TRIC was packed to the extreme that night. Mia's first single was released yesterday and Peyton wanted to throw her a party. This morning, Mia had gotten back from tour ready to finish her album, but Peyton told her to go home and sleep; she had a long night ahead of her.

Peyton was pulled from her thoughts when a cheery Brooke wrapped her arm around her shoulder. "Peyton look at this place! I don't think I've ever seen so many people in it before," Brooke exclaimed.

"I know. Mia is so syked. I mean, touring is great, and the crowds are like, ten times this one; but nothing compares to playing in your hometown."

"I'm proud of you, Peyton."

"Thanks B. Soooo…I saw you talking to Owen before," she nudged Brooke in her ribs. "How's that going?"

Brooke gave her a sly look, "Oh, that boy is sooo mine. We have a date tomorrow night."

"That's great, Davis. I know Deb has Angie for the night, but I can watch her tomorrow. I don't want you to think I'm so busy that I don't have time for my goddaughter."

"Sure P. Now why are your hands empty? Let's go get you a drink. This isn't just Mia's night; it's yours too. So have some fun."

After ordering their drinks, they turned to look out at the crowd. Peyton spotted Mia signing autographs and taking pictures.

They stood by the bar for a while making small talk until Skillz appeared beside them.

"Hellooo sexy ladies," he said, looking them up and down.

The girls laughed before Peyton asked, "Hey handsome. You havin' a good time?"

"Ya, Skinny. Just getting drinks for the gang."

Peyton and Brooke looked over to where he was pointing. Naley, Mouth, Millicent, Lindsay and Lucas were seated around a table. There was a Latina sitting with them that the girls didn't recognize.

"Who's the hottie?" Brooke asked.

Skillz winked at them. "That be my date," he said before walking off with his drinks.

Across the room, Lucas sipped on his beer, keeping his ears on the conversations going on around him, and his eyes on the blond at the bar. He saw her earlier when he walked into the club. She was wearing a dark green halter dress that stopped a couple inches above her knees; her hair was straightened and styled, and she had 3-inch black stilettos on her feet. She looked amazing, and Lucas couldn't stop staring. He noticed that he wasn't the only one. There were a few men eyeing her up.

"You know, the way you starin' at Peyton would give Psycho Derek a run for his money," Skillz leaned over and whispered to him. Skillz had seen the way Lucas was watching the blond and silently thanked god that Lindsay hadn't. He cringed at the thought of that conversation. _I wonder what Lucas would say to her._ Deciding that was Lucas' problem, he got up and asked his date to dance.

**XXXXXX**

Halfway through the night, Peyton found herself dancing with a guy named Kevin. He had approached her earlier, asking to buy her a drink. She had accepted and soon found herself enjoying his company. He told her he was a music producer back in Canada; he was just visiting relatives in Tree Hill.

At some point during the night, Peyton had run into Haley. Their conversation was stilted and awkward, mostly revolving around Mia, and Peyton quickly made up some excuse to escape. She was just coming back from her office when she was whisked onto the dance floor by Kevin.

After dancing a couple of songs, Kevin took her hand and led her to a more secluded section of the club. Turning her so that her back was facing the wall, he placed his hands on her waist. His brown eyes gazed into hers.

"So I leave the day after tomorrow. I was wondering if I can see you tomorrow. Maybe get some lunch?"

Smiling at him, she laced her fingers around his neck. "Sure. And if you're not doing anything the rest of the day, we could go to the fair; grab some dinner afterwards."

"Sounds like a plan." He leaned his face closer to hers, giving her a chance to back out. Instead, she closed the remaining distance and brought their lips together. They lost themselves in the kiss for a few moments before he pulled away.

Touching his forehead to hers, he looked into her eyes. "I'm gonna get going. I have to be up early in the morning." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pen. He grabbed a napkin from a nearby table and scribbled his number on it. "Call me tomorrow and we'll meet up." Handing her the napkin, he gave her one last kiss before leaving.

Smiling to herself, she made her way back to the bar, only to have Brooke step in her way.

"You little tramp. Who was that gorgeous piece of manmeat attached to your face?"

Peyton laughed. "Jeez Brooke. What were you doing? Spying on me?"

"Well if you must know, I was looking for your skinny ass so we could shake it up on the dance floor. I didn't expect to find you groping some stranger."

"I was _not _groping him," Peyton defended.

"Well you should have," Brooke joked back. Then she turned serious. "Speaking of strangers. Peyton, I know I told you to have fun, but please be careful. I've never known you to go around kissing guys you don't know." She winked at her. "That's more my territory."

Chuckling, Peyton slung her arm around Brooke's shoulder. "Come on, Davis. Let's go shake it up on the dance floor."

Unbeknownst to Peyton, someone else had seen her kissing Kevin. It made him feel things he didn't know how to handle. He spent the rest of the night knocking back beers.

**XXXXXX**

It was well past 3 in the morning when Peyton left TRIC. The club had closed about an hour ago, but Peyton had stayed back to tie up some loose ends concerning Mia's studio time. Brooke and the rest had left around 1.

Since she was still buzzing from the alcohol she consumed, she decided to walk home instead of calling a cab. Hopefully the fresh air would sober her up. Her and Brooke had decided that neither one would drive tonight because they had planned on drinking. So they had called a cab to bring them to TRIC. Peyton laughed, remembering how smashed Brooke had been. She knew what Brooke was like drunk, so she felt bad for Owen, who had to drive her home.

Deciding she didn't want to go home yet, she took a detour to the Rivercourt. The last time she was there was the night she had come back from LA. Pushing those thoughts aside, she made her way across the basketball court and sat on the picnic bench. She wished she had her sketch pad with her. Lying back, she gazed up at the stars.

She was lying there for about 15 minutes when she heard the familiar sound of a ball hitting the pavement. Sitting up, she came face to face with the last person she wanted to see.

Lucas couldn't sleep. Getting up, he threw on a sweatshirt, wrote a note for Lindsay, grabbed his ball and left. Making his way to the Rivercourt, Peyton was the last person he expected to see there.

Averting her gaze, she got off the table, deciding it was time to leave. She was stopped by Lucas' voice.

"You don't have to leave, Peyton."

Rolling her eyes, she turned to face him. "Yes, Lucas. I do. Because apparently, you still haven't registered the fact that I don't want to talk to you. I don't want you in my life. The sooner you realize that, the better."

Remembering what he saw earlier that night, his anger got the best of him. "You don't want me in your life after knowing me for 6 years, but you'll let some loser you just met, into it? You'll let him touch you and kiss you!?" Pissed off and jealous, he turned and threw his ball into the water.

"How is that any of your fucking business, huh Lucas? How I spend my time, and who I spend my time with is no concern of yours." The remaining alcohol in her system was wreaking havoc on her emotions, and her voice cracked with the effort to keep them in check. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes. "And newsflash, you insensitive prick, it was your choice not to be in my life. Or do you not remember that? I woke up in that hotel room and you were gone!"

He saw the tear that made its way down her cheek and he felt his heart clench. His mind took him back to 3 years ago and the events that changed both of their lives. "You said 'no', Peyton," he said softly.

"I said SOMEDAY!" she shouted. "As in one day, eventually, down the road. You know, it's like when people say, 'I'd like to be a mother SOMEDAY', and 'I'm gonna be a doctor SOMEDAY'. You know what that means, Lucas? It means that one day, it will happen. I told you I wanted to marry you, Luke. I asked you to wait, and like the idiot I am, I actually thought you would. Because you promised me that no matter how long it took, that you would wait for me." Swallowing the tears clogging her throat, she continued. "Remember when I said you were insecure? I was right. You proposed to me because you felt us slipping away, and instead of holding on even tighter…you let go completely."

"I called you to come to my book signing, Peyton. Lindsay and I weren't even together then. You got the wrong impression and you left," Lucas argued.

"You're right. I jumped to conclusions and walked away. But it's not like you even bothered to find out why I didn't show. Who knows what would have happened if I had the courage to approach you that day." She wiped the tears off her face and ran a hand through her hair. "It doesn't matter anymore, Lucas. We can't change the past. The point is, we're over. And that's not something I thought I'd ever say about us." She bit her lip and turned away from him. Walking away from him, his voiced stopped her once again.

"So that's it? After everything we've been through? 6 years of being friends and lovers. That's it?" He swiped at the tear that fell from his eye.

Taking a shuddering breath, she uttered the last words she'd be saying to him for a long time, "That's it."


	8. Chapter 8

WOW! Another chapter so soon...you guys are spoiled.

* * *

When Peyton got home in the early hours of the morning, she never made it to her room. She collapsed on the couch in a sea of tears, crying herself to sleep.

That was how Brooke found her later that morning. Brooke took in the tear tracks and dried up mascara that ran down her face and laughed to herself. _Oh Lucas, your life is about to take a drastic turn._

Leaning down, Brooke shook Peyton awake. The blond sniffled before opening her eyes. She squinted up at Brooke. "Morning B."

"Morning. I'd ask you what happened, but I think I already know." Peyton just nodded. "Right. Well, you have an hour to get cleaned up before you call Kevin."

"Oh crap, Brooke! I'm such a horrible person. I totally forgot you had a date tonight. I was supposed to watch Angie."

"Don't worry about it P. Sawyer. If I had someone as hot as Kevin introducing me to his tongue, I'd probably forget my name. Besides, there will be plenty of opportunities to watch Angie. Deb won't mind doing it again."

"I'm sure when he gets around to it, Owen will make you forget your name, number, and birthday," Peyton laughed. Brooke picked up a stuffed toy and threw it at her.

Watching as Peyton made her way to her room, Brooke's smile faded. She grabbed her cell and dialed Deb's number. When the older woman picked up, Brooke informed her that she'd be a little late picking Angie up and asked if she could baby-sit again tonight. Ending the conversation, Brooke picked up her keys and left the house. She had a promise to keep.

**XXXXXX**

Stepping out of the shower, Lucas wrapped a towel around his waist before making his way to the bedroom. He had just slipped his shirt over his head when Brooke came barreling through his door.

He didn't have time to react before her fist made contact with his jaw. His head snapped to the side and his vision blurred for a moment. Holding his face, he turned back to the angry brunette.

"Brooke, what the hell?"

"Don't you 'what the hell' me, you fucking jerk! I warned you once, actually, I warned you twice, but you like to live dangerously, don't you? Well now it's time to deal with the consequences."

"It's not like I deliberately went looking for her. She just happened to be there," Lucas said, knowing there was only one 'she' they could be talking about.

"And you couldn't walk away? You couldn't just leave? I don't know what's so hard about that. You had no problems doing it 3 years ago," Brooke fumed. Looking around, Brooke took a calming breath before asking, "Where's Lindsay?"

"She went to pick up breakfast. Why? Is there something…" and then it clicked for him.

"Brooke, you can't be serious." His heart rate picked up.

"Oh I'm very serious, Lucas Eugene Scott. And when I see Lindsay - "

"Brooke?" She turned around to see Lindsay in the doorway.

"What's going on?"

"Brooke, please don't -" Lucas tried to stop her.

"Shut up, Luke." Turning back to Lindsay, she spoke. "There are some things you should know. I'll start at the beginning, but first, I want you to know that I'm not doing this to hurt you; but I know it will. That's not my intention, Lindsay; and I probably shouldn't be telling you any of this because it's not my place. Lucas should have told you when you guys started getting serious…but he's too much of a coward."

Lucas knew it was too late to stop her. Even if he did, Lindsay had heard too much and she wouldn't let it go. So he stood there and let Brooke speak.

"3 years ago, Lucas showed up in LA to surprise Peyton. The details don't matter; all you need to know is that Lucas proposed to Peyton that night. She told him she wasn't ready, she asked him to wait. Instead, he left her there."

"Flash forward to now and Peyton comes back home, only to find out Lucas is with you. Now, I'm not gonna lie and say she didn't try to convince him to be with her, because she did. She did, Lindsay, the night Lucas asked you to marry him. Right before he came home, Lucas and Peyton kissed in her office." Lindsay let out a gasp as tears welled in her eyes. She looked at Lucas, but he wasn't looking at her. Brooke felt bad before she remembered all the nights she heard Peyton cry herself to sleep. "He came home to find your bags packed and you sitting there with a ring you found in his drawer. That ring, Lindsay, is the same ring Lucas proposed to Peyton with. It's the ring he bought for her. He kept it all these years, and when you found it, he was too much of a little bitch to tell you the ring wasn't meant for you." She glared in Lucas' direction when she called him a bitch.

"When Peyton found out you guys were engaged, she decided to let Lucas go. She wanted him to be happy. But she couldn't move on with her life if Lucas was constantly in her face, so she told him she didn't want to be friends; she didn't want to talk to him."

Lindsay had tears streaming down her face and Brooke wanted to turn around and run. _Stupid Lucas. Why couldn't he just stay away? Maybe then I wouldn't be standing here_. Banishing those thoughts, she continued.

"Which is why I'm standing here now. After being told repeatedly by me and Peyton to stay away, Lucas still hadn't listened. The day I told you to keep Lucas on a leash, I told him that if he went near her or spoke to her again, that I would tell you everything I knew. And now that I have, whatever you choose to do is up to you. I'm sorry you had to find out like this, but I'm looking out for Peyton. She's trying really hard to move forward; she puts on a brave face everyday, but all I know is that every night, she cries herself to sleep, and it's because of him." Throwing one last glare at Lucas, she walked out the door.

**XXXXXX**

Silence descended after Brooke's departure. The pair stood there, facing each other, but not meeting eyes. After what seemed like hours, but was minutes in reality, Lindsay brought her hand up to look at the piece of jewelry that adorned her left ring finger. Realizing Lucas wasn't going to say anything, Lindsay started the conversation.

"This is Peyton's ring?" she asked in a soft tone.

Lucas finally looked at her; wet cheeks, watery eyes, red nose. He cleared his throat before speaking, "She never saw the ring, Linds. She never wore it."

"But you bought it for **her**. When you went to the store, you picked it out because you thought it suited **her**."

Setting down the bag that contained their forgotten breakfast, Lindsay grabbed a tissue to wipe her face. Lucas didn't know what to say. When he woke up this morning, he and Lindsay were fine, and now everything was falling apart.

"You proposed to me because I was leaving, Luke. I was the only thing you had left to hold onto. Peyton wasn't an option because that would mean having to open yourself up again. And you couldn't do that because she hurt you already. But that's not fair to me. I shouldn't be someone that you settle for because you're afraid."

Sitting at the edge of the bed, she looked up at him. "Despite the fact that both Peyton and Brooke told you to stay away, you kept going back. You know what that tells me, Lucas? It tells me that you're not as in love with me as you claim to be."

Looking at her, Lucas was quick to protest. "Lindsay, that's not true. I love you."

Smiling sadly, she said, "I know you love me, Luke. But you're not in love with me. You don't need me. I could walk out of your life right now, and tell you we can't be friends anymore, and you wouldn't fight me on it; because I was just another person passing through your life."

Her voice trembled as she continued. "You kept pushing at Peyton because you can't imagine your life without her. She has to be there, even if she's just a friend." Standing up, she took his hand in hers. "Because a long time ago, you saw a curly haired, green eyed beauty, and it took you all of 5 seconds to know that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her. Whether she was your friend, your girlfriend, or your wife; Peyton Sawyer **had **to be there."

"It was never easy for either one of you. You both ran and hid from your feelings. And I doubt it's gonna be easy now. But it's time to stop running, Luke."

Taking off the engagement ring, she handed it back to him. "Whatever you choose, I hope you'll be happy. But I can't be one of your choices." Leaning in, she kissed his cheek. "I'll be back for my things. Goodbye Lucas Scott."

Before she stepped foot out the door, his voice stopped her, "I'm sorry, Lindsay." Without looking back at him, she nodded once, and left.

* * *

A/N: Might take a while for the next chapter. I have to figure out where I want this story to go.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Dan is not in this fic. And is anyone else pissed off that Peyton and Nathan literally had TWO conversations the entire season?

* * *

The bell above the door chimed as Lucas stepped inside the store. He heard Brooke's voice come from the back of the store. "I'll be with you in a minute. Feel free to look around!"

He took a seat and waited for her to finish in the back. A couple of minutes passed when he heard her voice again. "So what can I – Lucas," she stopped, surprised.

Standing up, he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Hey Brooke."

"Uh…hi. W-what are you doing here?" She tried to gauge his mood, but he wasn't giving her any signs.

"I came to see if we were ok. I know things have been weird lately, what with – "

"With you being an ass?" Brooke finished for him.

"I guess," he resigned. "But did you really have to tell Lindsay? I mean, do you hate me that much?"

Brooke could feel the anger bubbling up inside her. Lucas was seriously asking for another fist to the face. "You know, Luke. You can stand there and act all upset over the fact that I told Lindsay what you didn't have the balls to tell her yourself. But you knew that I would keep my promise; you knew I meant business. And deep down inside, you wanted it. You wanted someone else to do what you couldn't."

Lucas knew she was right. He was always waiting for the day when Lindsay would see right through him, and she would end their relationship. He both anticipated and dreaded that day, because then he could take the easy way out, but that also meant that he'd be alone.

"And for the record, Lucas, I don't hate you. I hate the things you do. I hate the things you do to Peyton; I hate how you make her feel when you're not making her deliriously happy."

There was the other reason he came to see Brooke: Peyton. But hearing Brooke's last statement, he felt resentment clawing at him.

"You know Brooke, I hate the fact that you seem to think Peyton was the only one who got hurt. I had my heart broken that night too."

"Oh I know you did. But it didn't have to be that way. She did not flat out refuse you, Lucas. You know better than anyone what that girl has been through. All she asked was for 1 year to prove to herself that she could make it. But she also needed your support to do so; and when you abandoned her, she gave up. And I wasn't just talking about that night; I also meant since she's been back."

Lucas wasn't ready to face the truth of her words. Turning around to leave, he said, "This conversation is pointless, Brooke. You don't understand."

He was hoping to escape with those words, but as always, Brooke had something to say. "You're right. I don't understand. I don't understand how you could have moved on with your life, knowing that you walked away from the one person who loved you more than anything in this world."

Just like all the other times as of late, Lucas didn't have anything to say. "I…I don't know."

**XXXXXX**

She caught the ball after it fell through the net and passed it to the boy in front of her.

"Hey buddy."

"Hey Hales. What are you doing here?"

"I called your house and since the school's not open, I figured I'd find you here."

"Any particular reason you're looking for me?" He went to sit on the picnic table. Haley followed and sat beside him.

"Just wanted to see how you were. Have you heard from Lindsay?"

"Ya, she called yesterday. She wanted to let me know she got the rest of her things that I shipped. She told me that one of her co-workers, Mark, was going to be my new editor."

"How's your second book coming along?" she asked, curious.

"It's slow. I don't know where I want to take it yet."

"And you? How are you holding up?"

"Honestly? Not good." He sighed. "I don't know what I feel. There are so many feelings warring inside me, I don't know which one to tackle first." Deciding to change the subject, he told Haley, "I went to see Brooke this morning."

"Oh god. Did you guys fight again?"

"We never really fought in the first place, Hales. We just had some disagreements."

"Riiiight. That's why your jaw was swollen," she smirked.

Lucas ignored her comment and continued. "I just wanted to make sure we were ok." He paused. "I kinda asked her about what she said to Lindsay."

Haley remembered the phone call she had received from Lucas' former fiancée a couple of days ago. Brooke's actions didn't really surprise her. Mostly, Haley just felt sorry for the editor. "You know, Luke, I can't really blame her. She was just looking out for Peyton. And I can't help but think that you knew deep down, if you kept pushing, Brooke would keep her word."

"Yeah, I know. Brooke said the same thing." Looking up at the sky, he took a deep breath. "I…uh, I wanted to ask her about Peyton."

"What about her?"

"Well, I wanted to apologize. You know, see if we could at least work our way to being civilized to each other."

Haley got off the table to stand in front of him. "Ok, first of all, I don't know why you're being so cautious now, going to Brooke first. It's not like you cared about being wary all the other times you talked to Peyton." Putting her hand on her hip, she continued, "And second of all, do you even hear what you're saying? You're just gonna go running to Peyton because Lindsay's gone? How is that fair to either of them?"

Lucas frowned. "What am I supposed to do, Haley?" He sounded so much like a little boy, that her heart ached for him.

"Give yourself some time, Lucas. Figure out what you want, where you want your life to go. More importantly, make sure you know what you need. Besides, talking to Peyton will have to wait," she informed him.

"What do you mean?"

"Brooke told me Peyton left, Lucas. She went on tour with Mia and the boys."

He felt his heart sink_. I guess I shouldn't be surprised Brooke or Peyton didn't tell me_, he thought. "For how long?" he asked.

His best friend gave him a small, sad smile, "I don't know, Luke."

* * *

So there it is. Short chapter, I know. But I needed something to set the scene for the upcoming chapters. Now press that button and feed me!


	10. Chapter 10

**6 months later**

As soon as she stepped through the gate, she was wrapped up in the arms of her best friend.

"Oh my god, Peyton! I missed you soooo much."

Laughing at her, Peyton pulled back and held her hands. "Brooke you saw me last month."

"What's your point?" Brooke pouted.

Throwing her arms around Brooke's shoulder, Peyton asked, "So where's my niece?"

Brooke smiled at the thought of her daughter. "She's at home; Owen is watching her."

They chatted some more while they waited at baggage claim. In the months since Peyton had left, they talked on the phone at least once a week, and just last month Brooke had flown down to Florida to visit her.

Miami had been the last stop on tour before everyone headed to LA. Peyton had opened another branch of Red Bedroom Records there, and had spent some time hiring new staff. Now that she had a couple of talent scouts, she didn't need to spend so much time on the road.

After collecting her luggage, they got into Brooke's car and headed home.

Rolling down the window, Peyton propped her elbow up on the edge and looked over at Brooke. "So, B. Davis. Did you get everything you need for Saturday?"

Angie's first birthday was in 3 days and Brooke was throwing her a party. Although, for Peyton, it would kind of be a reunion. She hadn't seen or spoken to anyone but Brooke since she left.

Brooke had decided to remodel the backyard, so now she had more space for guests. "Yeah, everything's ready. Just hope it doesn't rain." She paused and looked over at the blond. "I invited Lucas," she said, looking for any reactions.

"It's fine, Brooke." And it really was. She had only thought of Lucas once since she left Tree Hill, and that was because Brooke brought him up.

_3 months ago_

_She had just come out of the music store when her cell rang. "Hello?"_

"_Hey P. Sawyer! How's Boston?" came the voice of her ever cheerful best friend._

"_Mostly cloudy. But today's nice. The sun is out. What's up B.?"_

"_Nothing much. Just checking in. How's the tour going?"_

"_It's great. People are really responding to Mixed Signals, and Mia's having the time of her life. I also signed a new artist; his name's Jeremy."_

_She could picture Brooke's smile in her mind. "Is he cute?"_

"_Yeah, if you think jailbait's a good look."_

"_Shut up! You can't see it, but I'm sticking my tongue out at you."_

"_Love you too, Davis. So what's going on over there?"_

"_Well…Owen and I are officially together. Other than that, everyone's pretty much the same."_

"_How's Jamie?"_

"_Cute as ever. He's been keeping Lucas company since…" she trailed off. She forgot Peyton didn't know._

_Listening to her best friend hesitate, Peyton called out, "Brooke?"_

"_Listen, Peyton. I didn't tell you this because you were all about 'distancing yourself from Lucas'. But Luke and Lindsay aren't together anymore. They broke up a couple of days before you left."_

"_Oh," was all Peyton had to say. She felt bad for him, but Lucas' life wasn't her business._

"_So, yeah. I just thought you should know. I told Lindsay everything and she left."_

"_Oh Brooke –" Peyton started to scold her._

"_Don't Peyton. Lucas was told to stay away; he didn't and now he has to deal with it. What's done is done."_

"_Alright then. Listen, I have to go. I'll call you when I have some time."_

"_Ok. Take care. Love you, Sawyer."_

"_Love you too, Brooke."_

The sound of a horn pulled her back to reality. They were almost home and Peyton realized they hadn't discussed what was most prominent in Peyton's mind. She waited until they pulled up the driveway before speaking.

"I'm gonna get my own place, Brooke."

The brunette turned off the engine and looked at the blond, shocked. "What? Why?"

"I think it's time. You and Owen are getting serious, B. You guys need your privacy."

"But – "

"No 'buts', Brooke. You knew I was going to move out eventually. I'll start looking for a place tomorrow."

"Fine," she sighed, "but just so you know, you'll be missed. Owen's just not as pretty as you."

Getting out of the car, Peyton smirked at her friend. "I should hope not. Then I'd have to question which team you're playing for."

She let out a shriek as Brooke chased her into the house.

**3 days later**

The party was in full swing by mid-afternoon. Angie was currently taking a nap before she had to blow out the candle on her cake. So for right now, the adults were enjoying their grown-up time. Skillz was in charge of the music, Owen was making them drinks, and Lucas and Nathan were manning the grill. Jamie was occupied with the swing set Brooke had bought for her backyard. The weather had held up nicely; there was a warm breeze blowing and the sun was shining.

The only thing missing was Peyton. Her arrival would be a surprise to everyone but Brooke and Owen. The day she came back, Peyton had started to pack her things in boxes. The day after that, she went out and bought a two-story house 3 blocks away from Brooke. Owen had helped the girls set up Peyton's bedroom. That was the only thing she needed for now; everything else could wait.

This morning, Peyton had come over to help Brooke set up for the party. She left 2 hours later, saying she had some errands to run before coming back for the festivities.

An hour later, Angie was up from her nap and she was being passed around from adult to adult. Haley was bouncing Angie on her lap when she asked, "Hey Brooke, have you heard from Peyton lately?"

Lucas was flipping a burger and tried not to look too eager as he waited for Brooke to answer. 6 months, and the only answer he ever got from her was, 'She's fine'.

"Yeah, actually she's –"

"Right here." Everyone turned at the new, but familiar voice to see Peyton standing at the patio doors.

Brooke stood up and pulled her over to where everyone was sitting. "You're late, Sawyer."

"Sorry Brooke. Had some stuff to pick up." She hugged Nathan, Mouth and Millicent. When she got to Haley, she smiled awkwardly and took Angie from her. She blew a raspberry on the baby's cheek, making her giggle. Walking over to Owen, she handed her goddaughter over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Skillz came up to her and gave her a hug. Pulling away, he took her hand and twirled her around.

"Damn Baby Girl! Maybe it's 'cause I haven't seen you in so long, but you're even hotter than when you left."

Peyton let out a little giggle as she rolled her eyes. She was about to give him a witty comeback, when they were interrupted by yet another voice. This time it wasn't at all familiar.

"Should I get used to you flirting with my wife?"

* * *

Hehehe...I'm evil, I know.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: WOW you guys are awesome! Have no fear, I have ALWAYS been a Leyton fan, but I have lot of frustrations towards season 5. Need to channel it through this story. Brent and Marissa are mine.

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Looking in the direction of the newcomer, everyone stared in shock, not quite understanding the words he just spoke.

He stood there letting them take in his presence. He was 6 feet tall, had black hair, and dark brown eyes. His captive audience kept shifting their gazes from him to the 3 year old girl he held in his arms.

Peyton took the stunned silence as an opportunity to make her way over to the pair. She took the little girl in her arms and grabbed the man's hand. Moving closer to their audience, she introduced them. "Guys, this is Brent. And this little angel is Marissa." Starting from one side, she introduced everyone else; when she got to Jamie, she motioned him over.

Bending down to his level, she set Marissa on her feet. "Jamie, would you mind taking Marissa to the swings?"

"Sure Aunt Peyton." Kissing her on the cheek, he said, "Welcome home." And then he ran off with his new friend.

Brooke was the first person to break free of her stupor. "Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer! I cannot believe you had a child and didn't even tell me!" she practically screamed, mindful of the little ears that were around.

"What?" she asked, confused. She glanced in Marissa's direction and it clicked. "No Brooke. Marissa is Brent's niece," she explained.

"Oh," she accepted, "but that still doesn't explain –" she was cut off when Peyton took her hand.

"I'm sorry guys," she said to the others, "Brooke and I need to talk." With that, she dragged Brooke into the house.

It was awkward and tense for a few moments before Skillz broke the silence. "Hey man, I was just playin' before. Me and Peyton, we just got this thing –"

"Skillz, right?" Brent asked. Skillz nodded. "Don't worry about it. I was just joking. I know you and Peyton are friends, and I know she's hot." He winked at Skillz, and he relaxed.

Owen approached Brent, "There's food if you and Marissa are hungry."

**Meanwhile..inside**

"Peyton, what the hell is going on?" Brooke looked down at her friend's hand. "You weren't wearing that ring 3 days ago. What? Did you get married in the last 6 hours?"

"Brooke, calm down. I need you to listen, ok?" The brunette nodded. "Ok, first of all, Brent isn't some stranger I picked up off the street. I met him 4 years ago when I moved to LA. He used to manage one of the bands that signed with Sire Records. We became friends when I started my internship."

"Three months ago, after I left Boston, Mia, the boys and I went to Las Vegas. They did a show in one of the hotels casino. That's where I ran into Brent. He was on a road trip with his buddies. We drank and gambled and drank some more." She paused to look at Brooke. "Then we woke up married."

Brooke digested the information. "So you didn't plan to get hitched," she stated. "But Peyton, that was 3 months ago. Why are you still married?"

"I'll get to that. By the way, I didn't wear my ring because I didn't want you to know yet."

"Well this was a hell of a way to let me find out."

Peyton laughed. "I know. Anyways, back to my story. So we woke up all hung-over and whatnot, only to find out we were married. Obviously it was a drunken mistake, so that afternoon, we drove to LA to get an annulment; we kinda lied and told them we didn't consummate the marriage. They told us it would take at least six months. In the meantime, he helped me set up the label branch out there."

"Two weeks after we filed for the annulment, Brent got a call from his lawyer. Brent's sister had died in a car accident and Marissa didn't have anyone. Her father had abandoned her and her mother when she was a baby."

"That's horrible," Brooke whispered.

"I know. Brent was so devastated. I've never seen him cry before, you know? In all the time I've known him, he was always laid back, always joking. He's always been a notorious playboy. When I first met him, he tried to get in my pants; flirting non-stop until I made it very clear that I had a boyfriend that I adored. After that, he settled for being my friend."

"So I flew out to Seattle with him; it's where his sister lived. He needed to meet with his sister's lawyer to settle her affairs and make arrangements for her funeral, as well as Marissa. His sister had decided that should anything happen to her, Marissa was to go to Brent."

"Unfortunately, Brent's aunt decided to contest the custody. This woman is horrible, Brooke. She's single, works as a librarian, and she doesn't like kids. She wasn't particularly close to her niece and nephew, so I don't even know why she wanted Marissa, but she decided Brent was irresponsible and too young to take care of a 3 year old. He's 26 for God's sake!" Peyton ranted.

Brooke grabbed her hand to calm her down. "So what happened? Obviously Marissa's here."

"Yeah. The lawyer said that Brent would have a better chance of winning if he was married. If not, then custody would most likely be appointed to his aunt. He argued that his aunt wasn't married, but the lawyer said that the judge would probably side with her because she's older and she's a woman."

"That's ridiculous. Men can raise babies too." Brooke said, Jake passing through her thoughts.

"That's what I said. But anyways, I talked to Brent and I suggested that we stayed married for Marissa's sake. We argued for a while, but in the end, I pointed out that it wasn't about us, it was about Missy."

"Missy?" Brooke cut in.

"Yeah, it's my nickname for her. So as I was saying, we finally agreed to stay married. We called Brent's lawyer and told him to stop the annulment. Then we told Brent's sister's lawyer that we were indeed married. He didn't believe us at first, so we had a copy of our marriage license faxed over. From there, the court hearing took 2 days, but needless to say, we now have full custody of one Marissa Anne Miller."

"Wow." Brooke sat there absorbing everything. "Ok, so now what's the deal with you and hunk-o-licious? How long are you guys staying married?"

"You and your names, Davis. I don't know how long we'll be married, but I do know that we both take our drunken vows seriously. Despite the way this marriage came to be, it's very much real."

"As I said before, Brent's a playboy. But he told me that as long as we're married, I was the only one he'd be with. I told him it wasn't necessary, you know? It's not like we're in love or anything; but he said he took marriage seriously; not that he ever planned to get married mind you."

"So are you gonna tell the others?" Brooke asked.

"I don't know, Brooke. It's not really any of their business. Besides, I don't need anyone undermining my marriage. Brent and I are committed to this for as long as we're married."

"Ok then. I guess that's settled," Brooke said. Looking out the window, she caught sight of the man that would be around for a while.

"I have to say, P. For a guy that you married while plastered out of your mind, he sure is a good catch. How's the sex?" Brooke asked, blunt as always.

"Brooke!"

"What? You know you want to tell me."

Peyton thought about it for a moment. Then she looked at Brooke slyly. "Let's just say it's so good, that no matter how drunk I was, I can't believe I don't remember our first time."

Brooke squealed and grabbed onto her arm. Together, they made their way back outside.

They were just in time to hear Brent being interrogated. "So…Brent, what's your last name?" The question came from Skillz.

"Miller," Brent answered.

"How long have you and Peyton been married?" Haley this time.

"3 months."

"3 months? Where did you and Peyton meet?" Skillz again.

"Whoa, whoa! Guys, enough with the third degree." Peyton intercepted. "Look, I met Brent 4 years ago in LA. His sister recently passed away, leaving behind her 3 year old daughter. See that beautiful little girl over there?" She pointed at Marissa. "That's her and she is now in our care. That's all you guys need to know, so quit bombarding my husband."

At the word 'husband', Peyton accidentally caught Lucas' eye. The look in his eyes was one she couldn't quite place. Quickly looking away, she drifted off to find some food.

"Ok people," came Brooke's voice, "eat up, and then we'll cut the cake."

**XXXXXX**

_Peyton Miller. Peyton Sawyer Miller. Peyton Elizabeth Miller. _These names ran through Lucas Scott's mind like a broken record. Nearly 5 hours earlier, Peyton had surprised everyone with her return, and then proceeded to shock them when they found out she was married.

Lucas had stood in the background while the greetings and introductions were being made. He had barely managed a nod when Peyton pointed him out to Brent. He was too busy trying to identify the dull ache that had started in his chest. Peyton Sawyer had left Tree Hill six months ago, and returned married.

In the weeks following her absence, Lucas had taken Haley's advice and re-evaluated his life. He even spent some time on Andy's boat when he went down to Australia to visit his mother. He hadn't seen them in so long and he cherished the time spent with his baby sister. After a week of getting nowhere, it was Andy who pointed him in the right direction.

_The water always had a calming effect on the young blond. Even back home, he'd sit on the beach for hours watching and listening as the waves crashed against the rocks. Floating out here in the middle of the ocean on Andy's big boat was no different._

_His alone time was interrupted when a can of beer was shoved in his face. Grabbing the beverage, he popped the top and made room for his mother's boyfriend._

"_What are you doing here, Lucas?"_

_The question surprised him, mainly because it was pretty obvious, "I'm sitting here, enjoying the weather." It came out as more of a question._

"_I don't mean now, in this moment. I mean, why aren't you at home?"_

"_I just needed to clear my head. I'm trying to figure out if I want what everyone else is telling me I want."_

"_Peyton?" Andy guessed. Lucas nodded._

"_Forget about everyone else, Luke. What do __**you**__ want?"_

_Lucas looked at him like he had two heads. "If I knew that, I wouldn't be here, now would I?"_

_Andy chuckled and sipped his beer. Looking at the young man before him, Andy decided to help Lucas on his journey._

"_Close your eyes, Luke."_

_Lucas looked at him skeptically. "Go on, do it," Andy urged. He tilted his head back to rest on the chair and closed his eyes._

"_Good. Now clear your mind and relax. Focus on the sound of the water."_

_It was silent for a few minutes as Lucas did as he was instructed. Andy continued in a softer tone._

"_Now I want you to imagine yourself lying on a big bed; you're in between the stages sleep and consciousness. Your eyes are closed, but you know the sun is high in the sky, blazing in all its intensity. You know the window is open 'cause you can hear the birds chirping. Your nose picks up the scent of fresh coffee. All of a sudden, the bed dips beside you, and you can feel someone jumping on the bed. Suddenly, the motions stop and you can tell the person just plopped themselves down beside you. You open your eyes to see a little girl, probably 5 years old, looking at you. What color are her eyes, Luke?"_

"_Green," the boy answered immediately._

"_Open your eyes, Lucas." He did as he was told. He took a minute to absorb what had just taken place. When he looked up, Andy was smiling at him sympathetically._

"_Your heart knows what it wants, Luke. Your head just needs to catch up."_

The next day, Lucas booked a flight back to Tree Hill. He threw himself into writing his second book and spent his time coaching and hanging out with Jamie. Whenever he saw Brooke, he'd ask how Peyton was, and he always got the same answer. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and before he knew it, nearly half a year had passed since Peyton had left; he started to wonder if she was even coming back. By the time he finished his second novel, Lucas Scott had no doubts that Peyton Sawyer was the one.

He had resolved to fight for her when she got home, no matter how hard she made it, but all of that was shot down when her marriage was revealed. _Did you really_ _expect her to be single?_ A voice whispered in his head. _I don't know what I expected; but marriage? Definitely not that. _Lucas answered back.

His mental musings were interrupted by the door opening and closing behind him. Nathan sat in the chair beside him.

"Hey big brother. What are you doing out here?" It was later in the evening and the sun had just set. A cooler breeze was now blowing, and everyone had drifted inside the house. Jamie and Marissa were passed out in Peyton's old room, and Angie was snuggled up in her own bed.

Lucas let out a sigh as he leaned forward in his chair. "Just getting some air. It was a bit stuffy in there."

The brothers sat in silence for some time until Nathan decided to broach the topic he wanted to talk about since he came outside.

"So…Peyton…wow." _Good one, Nathan._

"Yeah," was all Lucas managed.

"How you doin', Luke?"

"I don't know, man," the blond replied, "I don't think it's sunk in yet."

Nathan was about to reply when Lucas continued. "I mean, married? She's married, Nate! She went on tour and came back with a husband. I finally realized who my heart is with; who it's always been with, and when I decide to do something about it, I can't. What am I supposed to do, Nathan?" His voiced cracked near the end, and Nathan thought his brother was going to cry.

"You let her go, Luke." Nathan simply said.

"What?" Lucas didn't understand how it was that easy for Nathan.

"You let her go," he repeated. "Peyton has had to watch as you and Lindsay paraded around town, holding hands and being all lovey dovey. When she found out you were engaged, she accepted it and let you go because she wanted you to be happy. It's time for you to do the same."

"I let her go once, Nathan. I don't know if I can do it again."

"You didn't let her go, Lucas. You walked away from her when she didn't give you the answer you wanted. And from that moment on, everything you felt for her, you shoved deep down in your heart and you didn't let yourself feel it for a long time."

The younger man stood up and put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "You know I'm right, Luke. After everything that's happened, you owe her this much."

Making his way back inside, he didn't see the tear that fell from Lucas' eye.

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	12. Chapter 12

**Here's the next chapter**

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The next day was Sunday; the day of rest. But for Peyton and Brent it meant unpacking and decorating. The refrigerator and stove set Peyton had purchased the day before had been delivered that morning. Brooke had come over as well, and her and Peyton were currently painting Marissa's room. It seemed that the blonde's errands from the day before consisted of picking out paint colors, kitchen accessories, and furniture for both Marissa's room and the living room. The furniture would be delivered tomorrow, so for now, they painted. Brent had taken Marissa with him to get more paint supplies, Owen tagging along as a guide. Angie was napping in Peyton's room.

The girls chatted quietly as they painted. "So, P.Miller, I saw you and Haley talking yesterday," Brooke pointed out.

"Oh. Yeah. She uh…she apologized for jumping down my throat. I told her I understood that she was looking out for Lucas and Lindsay, but if she ever did it again, I would kick her ass."

"Really? Did you tell her I'd help you?"

"No Brooke. You're staying out of it, remember?" The blond reminded her.

"Spoil my fun," Brooke pouted.

"Shut up and paint, Davis."

**Two Hours Later**

The girls had finished painting Marissa's room and were now helping the boys with the living room. Brooke had dropped Angie off at Haley's earlier so that she could help without leaving Angie alone. Marissa was sitting at the kitchen table, coloring.

The doorbell interrupted their idle chatter and Peyton went to answer the door. She was surprised to find Nathan standing on the other side.

"Nathan, hi."

"Hey Peyton."

"What's up? What are you doing here?"

"I was hoping we could talk."

Peyton looked behind her and then turned back. "Well we're painting in here, so let's talk outside." She stepped out and pulled the door closed behind her. They sat on the steps. The blond waited patiently for her friend to speak. It was obvious he had something he wanted to talk about; he just didn't know where to start. Peyton decided to help him out.

"What's going on, Nate?"

The younger Scott sighed as his eyes scanned the yard in front of him. Turning his head to look at her, he spoke, "It just occurred to me that I haven't been a good friend to you."

Peyton looked confused. "I don't understand," she stated.

"I just…you…we've literally had **2 **conversations since you've come back from LA."

"Okay…" she trailed off, still not getting it.

"I have no idea what's going on in your life right now. I don't even know what you've been doing in the last four years." He sounded exasperated.

Peyton was starting to wonder if she was having a 'blond moment'. Nathan could see she still didn't get it.

Running his hand through his hair, he explained. "The point is, Sawyer, that back in high school, after we broke up, you became my little sister. I mean, I may not have been a good boyfriend, but afterwards, we were really good friends."

"You and Lucas broke up and I didn't even call to see how you were. And that's not right. I've known you longer than anyone else in my life. At one point in my life, you were the only thing I had. Isn't that supposed to mean something?" Nathan was getting all worked up. Peyton needed to calm him down.

Putting a hand on his arm, she tilted her head to catch his eyes. "You know, Nathan, I could say the same thing. It's not like I picked up the phone either. I guess it just hurt too much to be connected to anything that involved Lucas. And afterwards, I figured that too much time had passed and it would have been awkward."

He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Her head rested on his shoulder. "Ok, I get that. But what about since you've been back? **Two **conversations, Peyton! And both of them you initiated."

Peyton didn't have anything to sat to that, and Nathan picked up on it.

"See, you know I'm right."

"Nate, I don't know what you want me to say. But the fact that you've thought about it, and that you're here now, shows me that you're a very good friend."

He kissed the mop of curls on her head. "So that's it? Just like that? You're too much, Sawyer."

Pulling away from him, she smacked his chest. "And don't you forget it. But if it's punishment you're looking for, get your ass in my house and help the boys paint. Brooke and I are gonna get some food."

They stood up and he grinned at her before throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her into the house.

**The Next Day**

Peyton was already up and feeding Marissa when her husband came bounding down the stairs.

"Good morning my beautiful ladies." He kissed his wife before leaning down to kiss his niece. Marissa held her arms out for Brent to pick her up.

"Up Unca Bwent." He picked her up and set her on the counter. He took her breakfast from Peyton and started to feed her.

Peyton got up and took her own dishes to the sink. "So what's on the agenda for the day?" he addressed her.

"Well we have those interviews to conduct for a nanny. We can do that together. Then you have to go see Lucas about TRIC. I have to stay and wait for the delivery guys."

"Ah yes, the infamous Lucas Scott. Have you talked to him?"

"No."

"Are you going to?"

"I don't see what we have to talk about."

Brent took the hint and backed off. Wetting a paper towel, he cleaned Marissa and set her down. The little girl scampered off to go play with her toys.

"What time is the first potential nanny going to be here?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"In about 15 minutes. We have four candidates coming. It shouldn't take more than an hour and a half."

**XXXXXX**

Lucas was zipping up his bag when his doorbell rang. Taking it with him, he opened the door, nearly dropping the bag when he saw Brent standing on his doorstep.

"Brent, right?" his visitor nodded. "What can I do for you?"

Brent noticed the bag. "I'm sorry, were you leaving?"

Lucas set the bag down by the coat rack. "Not right now, but I do have to fly out to NY later. Um…come in."

Once inside, Luke led him over to the sofa. "So not to sound rude or anything, but you're the last person I expected to show up at my door."

Brent nodded. "Yeah, Peyton gave me your address. She told me that you and your mom owned TRIC. That's actually why I'm here. Peyton and I were thinking of expanding the club. And before you say anything, I know that's not our decision to make; which is why I want you to hear me out first."

Lucas nodded for him to continue. "Okay, so Peyton's label is increasing in clients and that means more studio time for the artists. I know she has her office above TRIC, and before she left, she was thinking of having a studio built in there too. But sooner or later she's gonna need more space. So we were thinking of expanding; make one half TRIC and the other half RBR."

"We'd start with the new side first and make it TRIC so that when the time comes to close down the old one, TRIC would still be up and running. That way you wouldn't be losing any revenue. Plus we wouldn't have to move all of Peyton's things over."

Luke contemplated the idea. The club could be bigger. It didn't sound too bad, and if it helped Peyton, he was ok with it. "Well I'd have to talk to my mom first. I don't think she'd object, so when I talk to her, I'll let you know."

Nodding agreement, Brent stood up. He was making his way to the door when Lucas' voice stopped him. "How did you do it?"

Turning around, Brent looked at him. "Excuse me?"

"How did you get Peyton to marry you?"

Brent knew Brooke was the only one that was aware of the circumstances surrounding his marriage. But still, what was it Lucas wanted to know?

"I'm not sure what you're asking me here, Lucas."

"I just want to know where I went wrong. I asked her to marry me and she said –"

"She said 'someday'." Brent interrupted him. "She asked you to wait and you left." Lucas looked at him in surprise. "I was the one she called after you abandoned her. I was the one that held her as she sobbed her heart out. You want to know where you went wrong, Lucas? All you had to do was have a little bit of patience and you would have been the one standing in my place." Opening the door, he left the blond with these final words. "You had your chance, Scott. And you blew it."

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Short chapter, I know. Hopefully the next one will be longer. By the way, if you didnt figure it out, RBR stands for Red Bedroom Records. All good? Now review!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Sorry for the wait, but this chapter is just a filler. Once again, thank you guys for the great reviews!

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**One Month Later…**

…And so the days passed, and the residents of Tree Hill moved on with their lives.

Nathan and Haley were still going strong, now dealing with the changes that were happening. Haley has decided that in addition to being a teacher, she would go back to being a musician as well. She struggled with the decision at first, knowing what the music industry was like. She still had obligations as a teacher and she didn't want to spend too much time away from her family.

Peyton had stepped in and offered her a contract with RBR. This way, Haley could stay close to home and work with someone she trusted not to pull her away from her husband and son. For the most part, Peyton would have her on tour for a couple of weeks instead of a couple of months.

Nathan's injury affected his chances at ever playing on a team again, so instead he decided to help Lucas coach the Tree Hill Ravens. Skillz had accepted a position as assistant coach in Charleston, so Nathan replaced him. Skillz would be missed by all his friends, but he left with a promise to visit at least once a month.

Meanwhile, Brooke and Owen took their relationship a step further by having Owen move in. Millicent had moved in with Mouth after Skillz had left.

With Karen's consent, construction was under way for the expansion of TRIC. It would take another two months for the final product, and then renovations would begin on Red Bedroom Records.

In the meantime, Peyton and Brent shared responsibilities between the company and their little family. Marissa was settling in nicely with her new nanny, Stella, and took a liking to both Angie and Jamie. The couple spent as much time as they could with the little girl, trying to make up for the loss of her mother. They did the best they could, knowing Marissa was too young to understand why her mother was no longer around.

As for Lucas…well he got up every morning, wrote some, and coached in the afternoon. Occasionally, he'd visit Jamie, or stop by TRIC to see the renovations. It was the same thing everyday that left him feeling, if not completely happy, then at least a little content. He knew what was missing from his life, but he also knew he couldn't have it. Once or twice, he had seen Peyton around town. Sometimes she was alone, other times she was accompanied by Brent and Marissa. They never saw him; mainly because he would watch from a distance, wondering what it would be like if Peyton was his wife and Marissa was theirs. Those thoughts would just bring him down, so he escaped through basketball and writing.

So bit by bit, the former students of Tree Hill High built their lives and made some, if not all, of their dreams come true.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Ok guys, here's your Leyton interaction. Also if you guys could help me out...I need the name of Lucas' second book. Can't really remember the exact name.

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**2 Months Later**

School was out for the summer. For Haley it meant more time to focus on her music. For Lucas it meant his afternoons were now free. This particular afternoon, he found himself at the park watching Jamie hang from the monkey bars.

It was in the moments he spent with his nephew that he felt the most peace. It reminded him of the times he spent with his own uncle. Keith had meant the world to him, and Lucas wished, almost on a daily basis, that the man who was cruelly taken away from him, was still alive.

The young author was shaken from his thoughts when he heard Jamie shouting.

"Marissa!" Lucas looked in the direction Jamie took off in to see Peyton set the little girl on her feet.

He was too far away to hear what was being said, but he was sure Peyton was telling them both to be careful. He watched as the little boy guided Marissa over to the slide. He was startled as Peyton's voice sounded from beside him.

"Hi. Mind if I sit?" Lucas could only nod; too stunned that she was talking to him.

They sat in silence for a while, much like 2 strangers who just happened to be at the park. They watched as Jamie helped Marissa off the slide and take her over to the sand box, holding her hand the entire time. Both adults let out a chuckle at the sight.

And just like that, the tension between the pair was gone. But the awkwardness still remained. Glancing at each other, they both had nervous smiles on their faces.

Lucas finally found his voice, "Hi."

"Hey," she replied.

_Oh, this isn't the least bit weird_, he thought sarcastically.

"Should it really be this weird?" he voiced his thoughts.

Peyton looked at him for a moment. "Well considering we haven't had a decent conversation in like, 2 years…yeah."

"That's true," her ex said.

"Listen Lucas, we live in a small town, we have the same friends, so we're bound to run into each other more often than not. I guess we can settle for being civil."

Civil. People who were acquainted with one another were civil. _Is that what Peyton and I_ _are now? Acquaintances?_ Why was that bothering him now? _Peyton and I didn't speak_ _for the 2 years I was dating Lindsay. What did that make us back then? Strangers?_

The thought pained him. _Friends to lovers to strangers. Maybe one day we can work our way back to being friends._

"Do you think we'll be friends one day?" he asked. For a moment he thought he saw hurt flash in her eyes. But it was gone before he could blink.

"I-I don't know, Lucas." She looked away

His hopes vanished at her vague answer. _What did you expect?_ A voice whispered in his head. _She told you she didn't want to be friends 9 months ago. I know,_ he argued. _But that's because she was in love with me. Now she's…_

Lucas stopped his internal argument and looked at the girl sitting beside him. He chose his words carefully, not wanting to upset her. The last thing he wanted to do was fight with her.

"Peyton can I ask you something?"

"Um, sure." She was starting to get uncomfortable.

"Months ago you told me you couldn't be friends with me because it hurt too much; because you were in love with me. You're in love with Brent now," he almost choked on the sentence, "so I don't see why we can't be more than civil."

Peyton spoke before she could think, "Brent and I aren't-" she stopped. _Shit, Lucas doesn't know._

Luke looked confused. "Aren't what?"

Before she could say anything, Marissa and Jamie came running towards them.

"PeyPey!" Marissa shouted. "Me want ice cweam." Jamie nodded beside her.

"We have to get you guys cleaned up first," Lucas spoke. Turning to Peyton he asked, "Haley's is closer. Do you want to go there?"

Peyton nodded. "Yeah. I brought a change of clothes for her anyways."

"Alright, let's go." Once again, Jamie grabbed Marissa's hand, walking in front of the adults.

**XXXXXX**

An hour later, Peyton and Lucas sat in an ice cream parlour with 2 very hyper children running around them. The kids alternated between playing in the shop's playground and running around the tables.

Dipping his spoon into his chocolate sundae, Lucas observed Peyton as she kept her eyes on the kids. When she glanced in his direction, he looked away and cleared his throat.

"So TRIC is ready to be re-opened. When are you starting renovations on RBR?"

"Tomorrow. The sooner we start, the faster they'll finish."

"How many artists do you have so far?"

"Between here and LA, we have 10. Right now Mia's the only one that completed an album. Her first album goes out in 2 days."

"So she'll go on tour again?"

"Ya. Up until now, she was opening act for the other artists. This time she'll be the main event. What about you? Haley said you finished your second book."

Pushing his empty bowl aside, he leaned back. "It's at the publisher's right now. They say it will hit stores in about a week. They just need to finalize the front cover. I'll probably go on tour in a month."

Peyton smiled. "Really? Do you know what cities you'll be at?"

"Not really; probably the big ones. You know, LA, NY, Chicago, maybe Boston. I know for sure I'll start right here in Tree Hill."

"That's great Lu-" she was cut off by her cell.

"Hello." Lucas could only hear her side of the conversation.

"I'm at the ice cream store."

"OK I'll be there. I'll just leave Missy with Stella."

"Bye hun." She hung up and looked at Lucas. He tried not to let his disappointment at her leaving show.

"Brent?" he asked, referring to her caller.

"Ya . I have to go into the office."

"Okay, well we'll walk you back. Your car **is** at Haley's."

Gathering up the kids, they started on their way back. Peyton's phone call reminded him of their conversation at the park.

"Peyton?" She looked at him.

"You never finished what you were saying at the park."

She looked confused for a minute before she realized what he was talking about. She averted her gaze.

"It's not important." Lucas frowned. She was hiding something.

"You sure? 'Cause it sounded like you were about to contradict my words."

Peyton debated what to say. _What does it matter if I tell him the truth? I don't have anything to hide. I don't regret the decisions I made. Not really any of his business, but I'll tell him anyways._

"I was going to say that Brent and I aren't in love."

Lucas wasn't expecting that. He was so surprised, he almost stopped walking.

"Um…what?" He wasn't sure what to think.

Peyton sighed. They were almost at Haley's place. She needed to make this short.

"We got drunk and got married in Las Vegas while on tour. We filed for an annulment immediately, but before it was finalized, Brent's sister died. We stayed married so that Brent could gain custody of Marissa. He's been a really good friend to me for the last 4 years. I was just returning the favor."

They stopped in front of the house as Peyton picked up Marissa. Jamie had already run into the house. Lucas was trying to digest this new information. Peyton strapped the little girl into her car seat. It was a good thing Brent bought a new car. The comet wasn't exactly child friendly.

"I have to go, Lucas." She started the car and drove off, leaving him standing there, speechless.

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	15. Chapter 15

A/N: WOW...funny thing called life got in the way. But I'm here! Should be another chapter up by tomorrow. LUV you guys!!

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**Later That Night**

After putting Marissa to sleep, Brent grabbed two beers from the fridge and joined his wife in the living room. He handed her a bottle as he sat down beside her.

He noticed she hadn't said much during dinner. He was going to bring it up, but decided to put it off until Marissa was in bed.

"So how was your day?" He knew she was at the ice cream parlor when he'd called, but other than that, he didn't know what she did that morning.

Peyton knew him well enough to know he wasn't really asking about her day; more like what happened before he called her into the office.

"I uh…ran into Lucas at the park. He was there with Jamie." Moisture was gathering on the bottle in her hand, making it easier to peel off the label.

"Did you guys fight?"

"No. We actually had a civil conversation. I mean, the kids are getting closer, Lucas spends a lot of time with Jamie; the least we could do is be nice when the kids are around."

Putting her beer on the table, she moved closer to Brent and curled into his side. He wrapped an arm around her and stroked her hair. He knew she had more to say.

"I told him about us."

Brent stilled his motions as he realized what she was talking about. He wondered what had changed her mind. When they decided to stay married and gained custody of Missy, they discussed going back to Tree Hill. Brent was used to the fast pace of his LA lifestyle, but that wasn't a life to raise a 3 year old in.

Peyton had suggested moving to Tree Hill to settle down. Marissa needed to bond with him; she needed stability. He agreed with her, trusting that Peyton would do what was best for his niece. Maybe one day he'd go back to LA, but for now, Tree Hill sounded like a good idea.

So when that decision was made, he wondered what they were going to tell her friends. Peyton told him nobody needed to know, except Brooke. She was the only one that really mattered, in Peyton's opinion. When he mentioned Lucas, she just said it wasn't his business.

Either way, it didn't bother Brent. Lucas wasn't a factor in their marriage. "I thought it wasn't his business."

The blond shrugged. "It's not. But we were talking and it slipped. We were interrupted by the kids, so we dropped the subject. He brought it up again after, so I figured, what's the point in lying? Lying would make it seem like I'm ashamed, and I'm not."

"What did he say?" He resumed running his hand through her hair.

"I didn't give him a chance to say anything. We were already at Haley's and I had to leave. Besides, I think he was speechless. Probably didn't have much to say."

**Across Town**

Lucas was quiet as well that evening as he had dinner with his brother and his family. Nathan and Haley noticed this and kept the conversation light, glancing at each other from time to time. They didn't want to bring up adult conversation in front of Jamie.

It wasn't until later, after Jamie was put to bed and Lucas was helping Naley clean up, that the older Scott spoke what was on his mind.

"Did you guys know?" Nathan and Haley looked at each other, confused.

"Know what, Luke?" Nate asked.

Lucas looked at the couple in front of him. They both looked lost.

"About Peyton." He paused, "And Brent." When their expressions didn't change, Luke figured they didn't know. So he filled in the blanks for them. When he was done, Haley looked perplexed and Nathan was the first to speak.

"Well now it makes sense." Lucas looked at his brother.

"How do you mean?" Haley asked.

Nathan set down the plate he was holding. "Well…I mean… I know she's known Brent since LA, but I just found it odd that she'd marry him out of the blue. I always wanted to ask her, but it wasn't any of my business."

Lucas and Haley made eye contact, each thinking the same thing. _Why didn't I question Peyton's marriage?_

But for both of them, the answer was different. For Haley, she didn't think she had any right after the way she treated Peyton.

For Lucas, he was too wrapped up in the fact that she was married, to ever wonder why. He didn't want to think about the fact that he pushed her into the arms of someone else. He didn't like the thought that he'd hurt her enough for her to jump into the first relationship she could find just to get rid of him.

And now it seemed as if being in a marriage with someone she wasn't in love with, was better than being with him. _But isn't that what you were going to do?_ Deep down inside, he knew that was true. He loved Lindsay; he just wasn't in love with her.

"What are you thinking of, Luke?" Haley's voice broke his musings.

"I…I just…I don't know what to do."

Nathan looked at him, once again confused. "You don't know what to do about what?"

"This situation," Lucas replied. Nathan and Haley were having trouble following his train of thought.

"Okay Lucas, you're gonna have to explain yourself, because we're not following you," Haley said.

"Don't you guys see? Peyton's not in love with Brent. I admire the fact that she's helping him out, but she doesn't need to be married to do that."

"Whoa, Lucas. Just stop." This coming from Nathan. "Whether she's in love with him or not, Peyton made a commitment to Brent, and more importantly, she made one to Marissa."

"Anna Sawyer died when Peyton was 8. She grew up without her mother. Marissa's only 3 and right now her mother's death doesn't really mean much, but eventually she's gonna grow up and it's going to affect her."

"I've spent enough time with Peyton to know – even if she doesn't realize it herself – that she wants to give Marissa what she didn't have growing up. She's gonna be there for that little girl in a way that no one else was for her." The entire time he was talking, his wife was looking at him with tears in her eyes. _God I love this man, _she thought.

Lucas' stubborn side popped up. "I understand what you're saying, Nate. I get it; but she could be with me and still be there for Marissa."

"I have to tell her that I love her, Nathan. She doesn't know that I still do." Lucas was staring to sound desperate now.

Nathan, on the other hand, was starting to get impatient. "That's great, Luke. You and Peyton are barely friends, but you're just gonna pop up and say, 'I love you, Peyton. Let's get busy'? She's going to laugh in your face."

Seeing Lucas' puppy dog expression, Nathan continued, less impatient this time. "Listen bro. Just look at it from Peyton's point of view. Less than a year ago, you were planning on spending the rest of your life with Lindsay. And now that she's gone, Peyton suddenly looks good again?"

"It doesn't work like that, Luke." Lucas opened his mouth to say something, but his brother held up his hand, stopping him.

"Let me ask you something. If Brooke hadn't opened her mouth; if Lindsay hadn't of broken up with you, where would you be right now?"

Nathan didn't give him a chance to reply. "I'll tell you where. You'd still be living in a world where Lindsay Strauss was the love of your life, and Peyton Sawyer was just an ex girlfriend."

Lucas didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything because his little brother was right.

"You wanna know what to do, Luke? Months ago I told you to let her go. My answer still stays the same."

* * *


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Wow..never intended for there to be so much angst. Hehe...by the way let's pretend Lucas never gave Haley his book to read first.

* * *

**The Next Night**

For a small town like Tree Hill, there sure were a lot of people who lived there. This was a proven fact judging by the amount of people that showed up for the opening of the new and improved TRIC.

Haley would be performing tonight, so the gang made sure to reserve a table in advance. Skillz was in town for the week and Owen had the night off. All in all, everyone was there and they were ready to have a good time.

The guys were sitting around watching Peyton, Brooke and Haley as they taught Millicent how to do tequila shots. Mouth couldn't help but laugh at the faces she was making. Brooke knocked back her shot before turning to Lucas.

"So Broody, when do we get to read this second novel of yours?"

Setting his drink down, he replied, "It'll be in stores in 2 days. After that, I'll be on a month long tour."

"What's it about?" Brooke asked.

"You'll just have to wait and see." After he said this, his eyes found Peyton's. This didn't go unnoticed by Brent. The dark haired man smirked to himself. _Well, well, well, Lucas Scott. I can't wait._

**XXXXXX**

Couple hours later, the gang had slowly dispersed. Lucas took up a seat at the bar, downing drink after drink. He lost count of how many he had after #6.

Every once in a while, he'd scan the club and his eyes would always land on **her**.

Peyton dancing. Peyton and Brent. Peyton and Brooke. Peyton, Mouth and Skillz. Peyton and Brent.

Peyton and Haley. Peyton and Brent.

Peyton, Haley and Nathan. Peyton drinking.

Peyton and Millicent. Peyton and Brent. Peyton and Owen. Peyton and Brent.

And every time his eyes landed on her, times from past and present would flash through his head.

"_I love you. I'm in love with you."_

_Honey Grove Prom_

"_No matter how long it takes…I'll wait for you."_

_State Championship_

"_It's not gonna matter anyway…whether I stay or I go with us, 'cause I'm gonna love you forever Lucas Scott."_

"_No, by not waiting, you gave up on us…and you **know** that's the truth."_

"_No. I am not saying, no. I'm saying not now. I want to marry you someday."_

"_If I never cared, then how come every time I see **this stupid book**, I buy it every **stupid damn time**, Luke! **You** said I was great! You said **I **could be great…you said we were **destined **to be together! You said it to the world, you said it to me, and I wish you **never **had because you did not mean any of it!"_

_The night she came back_

"_You still love her, don't you? Peyton?"_

"_You're right. I don't understand. I don't understand how you could have moved on with your life, knowing that you walked away from the one person who loved you more than anything in this world."_

"_It's you. When all my dreams come true, the one I want next to me…it's you. It's you, Peyton."_

"_What am I supposed to do, Nathan?"_

"_You let her go, Luke."_

Looking for her once more, he caught her just in time to see her disappear through a set of doors. Making sure no one else was going to follow her, Lucas drunkenly stood up, stumbling his way over to the same doors.

He found himself in a small corridor and realized, in his drunken haze, that it connected TRIC and RBR. Opening another set of doors, he made his way up to Peyton's office, trying not to trip over any debris or equipment lying around.

Peyton was in her office scanning through her planner. She had spoken to Haley and Nathan before and had arranged some gigs for the artist in the next two weeks. She looked up when she heard a sound at the door. Lucas stood there, swaying lightly on his feet. It was obvious to her that he was intoxicated.

Stepping out from around her desk, she moved closer to him; intending to get him to sit. "Lucas – "

"Shhh…" he held a finger up to his lips. Moving closer, he stopped when he was in front of her. Placing both hands on her cheeks, Lucas leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose.

Pulling back, she looked in to his eyes and saw them fill with tears. "If I told you I love you right now, would you hold it against me? 'Cause I've had a lot to drink." Her mind flashed back to the library, years ago, when she was shot.

Lucas dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her hips. He pressed the side of his face into her stomach. "Because I do, Peyton. I love you." He sniffed back his tears as he continued.

"And I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I left you; I'm sorry that I walked away. I'm sorry I broke my promises and I'm sorry I didn't wait. I'm sorry I broke your heart, Peyton, and I'm sorry I made you cry." Squeezing her hips one last time, he stood up and walked to the door. He didn't turn around, but he turned his head to the side.

"I know this won't mean much to you right now; but I love you Peyton Sawyer," he choked back the tears, "and no matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you."

And then he left. Peyton fell to her knees and did the one thing she promised not to do when it came to Lucas Scott again: she wept.

* * *


	17. Chapter 17

**The Next Morning**

Brent sat beside his sleeping wife, trying not to wake her. She was sprawled on her stomach, hugging the pillow under her head. Brushing a curl away from her face, he decided to let her sleep some more. She had a rough night.

He had been standing outside of TRIC with Owen last night when he saw Lucas stumbling out through the main entrance of RBR. Knowing nothing good could have come from the encounter he suspected took place, Brent was pained when his suspicions were confirmed.

He found Peyton in her office, on her knees, crying into her hands. He listened as she described Lucas' visit and then took her out to the car. Brent sent a quick text to Brooke, letting her know he was taking Peyton home. When they got there, Peyton checked on Marissa and then went straight to bed.

Brent remembered back to when he first met her. All bright-eyed and eager to be a part of the music industry, he flirted with her from the start. The first thing she said was, "Don't waste your time. I love my man."

That didn't stop him. He had slept with tons of women that had boyfriends; some were even married. But he quickly came to realize that Peyton wasn't like all the nameless, shallow women he knew.

She was smart and determined, and she cared about music more than anyone he had ever known; it wasn't just fame and fortune to her.

But after Lucas left her, he watched as the determination faded, and in its place, was a girl who clung to the only thing she had left.

Looking down at her now, he knew that eventually things were gonna come to a head, and decisions would have to be made. Brent swore that whatever came their way, he'd be by her side.

**XXXXXX**

Noon rolled around by the time Lucas woke up. His head was pounding and he felt like he had cotton stuffed in his mouth. His stomach gave a lurch, and the next thing he knew, his head was buried in the toilet.

When he emerged from his room, he was showered and dressed, on his way to hunt down some food.

He had just finished his first meal of the day when the doorbell rang. Placing his plate in the sink, he made his way to the front door. The minute he opened the door, scenes from last night bombarded him.

_Drink after drink_

_Following Peyton to her office_

_Him on his knees_

_"I love you, Peyton."_

_"…I'll wait for you."_

"Hi," her voice broke his thoughts.

Stepping aside, he motioned for Peyton to come inside. He sat on the armchair while she took the sofa.

Lucas avoided eye contact, embarrassed by his behavior the previous night. Peyton cleared her throat, breaking the oppressive silence that was threatening to smother them. He looked at her when she finally spoke.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Lucas." He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Honestly…if you were sober, I probably would have laughed in your face. I would have told you to shove your words, and that I wouldn't be your rebound girl. You were drunk and expressing yourself."

"So you didn't think I meant what I said?" Lucas frowned.

"I know you did. I just…god! I don't know what I'm trying to say," she exclaimed, frustrated.

Lucas gave her a wry grin, "Peyton, it's okay. I know what you mean. I got smashed and said things that I shouldn't have to take back. Things that I probably had no right to say if I was sober. Things that are true."

"Yeah," she laughed, "something like that."

Silence lapsed again. Lucas could see Peyton was struggling to say something. He didn't want to rush her; he knew she'd say it eventually.

Two minutes later, she spoke. "I need to say something. And just so you know, I don't mean for it to hurt."

"It's fine, Peyton," he encouraged.

"The night we kissed, I told you that I regret not saying 'yes'." Lucas nodded for her to continue.

"I've had a lot of time to think since then, and I've come to realize that it was wrong of me to say that. I shouldn't have that regret just because you left. Your proposal was all or nothing, Luke. There was no half way point. And I'm sorry, but -"

"Peyton stop," Lucas cut her off. He sat back in the chair and looked at her. She waited for him to speak.

"Don't apologize for the choices that you made. You did what you thought was best for you at the time; and in a way, what was best for me. And instead of respecting and appreciating that, I threw it back in your face."

He had her avid attention now, so he continued. "When you said 'someday', I blocked out everything else because it wasn't the 'yes' I was looking for. I was too hurt and blind to realize you weren't saying 'no'."

"But you were right. If I couldn't believe in our love enough to wait a year, then there wasn't any point in talking about forever."

"I'm a moron, Peyton; of epic proportions."

She cracked a smile at that and he returned it. Peyton looked at her watch and stood up.

"I have to get going. I'm taking Angie for the afternoon."

He walked her to the door. When she stepped outside, she turned to look at him. "I'll see you around, Luke."

"Bye Peyton."

* * *

Okay...so...short chapter. Don't hate. If you guys could help me out; I need to know the name of Lucas' second book. Thanks.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Wow, you guys. Sorry for the long wait. Been working the night shift. Sleep is a must. So I give you a long chapter to make up for it.

* * *

**One Month Later**

Brent set down the book he was reading on the coffee table when he heard the front door open. Turning from his spot on the couch, he saw Peyton make her way to the kitchen. He got up and followed her.

"Is Missy in bed?" Peyton asked when she saw her husband sit at the table.

"Yeah. I put her down half an hour ago." He watched as she poured herself some water. He waited until she took a seat next to him to speak.

"There's something we should talk about."

The blond put her glass down. Suddenly she felt nervous. "What?"

Reaching out, he took her hands in his. "We both knew the circumstances surrounding us when we stopped the annulment, Pey. We talked about living arrangements and moving and practically everything else. But we never decided for how long."

And there it was: the topic of conversation. The topic Peyton dreaded. "S-so, what are you going to do?"

"It's not what **I'm** going to do. It's what **we're** going to do."

She met his eyes hesitantly. "Are you going back to LA?" she asked.

"Honestly…I don't know. But what I do know is that Tree Hill has grown on me."

Peyton looked skeptical. "Brent, I know how much you loved the big city life."

He smirked at her. "True…but you forget, my dear, that I grew up in small town Texas. I went to Los Angeles to attend UCLA. I could adjust."

"If you're sure," she relented. "What about Missy?"

"That's another reason to stay. As much as I know you liked LA, Tree Hill is your home. And I would never take either one of you away from the other. Missy adores you."

The blond felt her eyes mist over. "And I her."

Patting her hand, he said, "Good. Now that that's cleared up… I should start looking for a new place."

"So soon?" Everything was moving so fast.

"Well, I figured the sooner we get Missy used to 2 different households, the better."

Peyton bit her lower lip, "Um… if you wait another month, I know the Jensens two houses down are going to be moving."

"Really?" he replied. "That's a nice house. I'll stop by tomorrow to see if they had any offers."

"Sounds good," she agreed, glad she wouldn't be too far from Marissa. It only made sense for the little girl to live with Brent. He was her flesh and blood after all. "So what's next? Divorce or annulment?"

The brunette looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, I thought about it. The difference between a divorce and an annulment is that with the annulment, it's like our marriage never happened. And despite how it came to be, I know this union was real for both of us."

Peyton smiled at that. "Yes, it was. So…divorce it is."

Standing up, he pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her. Kissing the top of her head, he said, "If I forget to say it later, or if I haven't said it yet: I appreciate everything you've done for Marissa and I. You're my best friend, Peyton, and I love you."

Rising up on her toes, she tilted her head and kissed him. And for the first time since Las Vegas, there was nothing sexual about it. It was recognition, comfort, gratitude.

"I love you too, Miller. Next to Brooke, you're the best friend I've ever had."

Brent kissed her forehead before pulling away. "You going up to bed?"

"Yeah."

"Ok. I'm just gonna to lock up. I'll be up in a few minutes."

He waits until she's upstairs before he heads back to the living room. Picking up the book he set down when Peyton came home, he opened it to the last page he left off at. There was only one paragraph left, signaling the end of the chapter.

**'It was more than just a comet because of what it brought to his life: direction, beauty, meaning. There are many who couldn't understand, and sometimes he walked among them. But even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him, and his world would be whole again. And his belief in God and love and art would be re-awakened in his heart.'**

Smiling to himself, he closed the book and placed it back on the table, ensuring that come morning, his soon to be ex-wife would definitely see it.

**XXXXXX**

The next day, Peyton's cell rang just before noon.

Glancing at the caller ID, she answered, "Hey Hales."

"Morning Peyton. Are you busy?"

"Not right now. But I do have a conference call in about ten minutes. What's up?"

"I was just calling to see if you're doing anything later this evening. Lucas is getting in this afternoon and I wanted to throw him a surprise celebration on the success of his second book."

"That's great, Haley. We'll be there."

"Awesome. Speaking of…did you read the book yet?"

"I haven't had the chance to. I'll get around to it soon. But I'm pretty sure Brent has. I saw a copy on my coffee table this morning."

"Oh. Has he said anything about it?"

"Um…no. Why? Is it, like, bad or something?"

"Oh! No, no. Just wondering."

"Ooookaaay…well I have to go prepare for this call, so I'll see you later."

"Alright. Bye Peyton."

"Bye." She hung up. Haley seemed to be fishing for something. What it was, Peyton had no idea.

She decided to put it out of her mind for now. She had concert dates to think about.

**Later That Evening**

The women were sitting around chatting while Peyton bounced Angie on her lap. The men were talking sports and cars and whatever it was they talked about. Jamie and Marissa had disappeared to his room to watch Disney movies.

Haley had been standing by the door, looking out for her best friend's arrival. When she saw his car pull up, she rushed into the living room.

"He's here, you guys." The room fell silent as everyone huddled in the kitchen. They heard the front door open and shut.

"Hales! Nate! I'm here. Where are-"

"SURPRISE!" Lucas nearly jumped out of his skin when everyone shouted.

"Wow. What's this?" he asked.

"We wanted to congratulate you on another successful novel," Haley replied.

"Really? Well, thanks." Handshakes and hugs were passed around.

When he got to Peyton, Lucas leaned down and kissed the top of Angie's head. Peyton gave him a one armed hug.

"Hey Luke. Congratulations."

"Thanks. Where's Marissa?"

"She's upstairs with Jamie."

"Oh. Let me go see them." He took off towards the stairs as Brent came over.

"Soooo…have you read his book yet?"

"No. And speaking of, I didn't know you were."

"Ya. It's a pretty good story. You can read it when I'm done."

"Actually, I bought a copy. Just haven't opened it yet. And since when do you read?"

Brent stuck his tongue out at her. "Shut up. For your information, I read 'An Unkindness of Ravens'. Back in LA, I heard a couple of women whispering about it one day. They were sitting in the break room and I heard your name. They were talking about how much he must love you if he wrote an entire book about you."

"You never told me that," she said, shifting Angie to her other hip.

"Would it have made a difference, after the way he left?"

"Probably not."

Further conversation was halted when Brooke came over. Angie needed to be fed and Haley needed Peyton's help in the kitchen.

**2 Weeks Later**

Peyton finally had free time to sit down and crack open 'The Scientist and the Comet'.

The past couple of weeks had been hectic. Renovations on the studio were almost finished and Peyton needed to start looking for help: secretaries & producers, accountants & public relation representatives, and a billion other things. She was just glad Brent was there to help her out.

She had to take a 2-day trip to LA to iron out some details. Brent had gone along with her to pack up the rest of his things. He offered up more money for the Jensen's house than the previous buyers, and in a couple of weeks, the house would be his.

On top of that, Brooke was expanding her clothing line to include children's wear. She had asked Peyton to help her make some sketches, and the blond couldn't refuse.

So now, here she was, taking a breather from her crazy life. Opening the cover, she read the dedication.

**'To all those lost souls who have forgotten to believe in the immensity of love.'**

**XXXXXX**

Peyton and Brooke sat down to eat that evening in a nice, quiet restaurant. The girls hadn't spent that much time together lately, and were going to catch up over dinner.

"This place hasn't changed in all these years," Peyton pointed out.

"Really? You've been here before?"

"Yeah. Jake brought me here once."

"Wow…there's a name I haven't heard in years."

"Well…I talk to him occasionally."

"Are you serious? Why am I just hearing about this?" Brooke asked, feeling out of the loop.

"Ummm, I don't talk to him that often, Brooke. And it didn't seem like it was worth mentioning."

"Well I think it is. What's he been doing?"

"He still lives in Savannah. He's teaching at the local elementary school. Jenny's growing up so fast. Jake and Nikki still share custody. Apparently, Nikki's quite the mother. She married some accountant last year. And Jake is engaged to a pediatrician."

"No kidding…well good for him."

"He seems really happy. His fiancée is gorgeous and I forgot the biggest news… she's pregnant."

"No way! Oh my God...you have to tell him to visit." Peyton laughed as Brooke bounced in her seat.

"I will. I miss Jenny."

"Of course you do. You took care of her, Peyton. Everyone saw how attached you were, how much you loved her. First Jenny, and now Marissa; you're gonna be an amazing mother."

"Thanks B."

"No problem. Now tell me what's been going on with you."

Their food arrived and Peyton filled Brooke in about Red Bedroom. When their meal was done, Peyton decided to share her biggest news with her best friend.

"So…Brent and I talked a while ago. We decided to end our marriage. He's moving out by the end of the month. We filed for divorce yesterday."

Brooke just sat there, staring at her.

"Hellooo? Brooke?" Peyton waved her hand in front of the brunette's face.

Brooke snapped her mouth shut. "You know, Sawyer, you really have a habit of dropping bombs all at once. I tell you…one day you're gonna give me a heart attack."

"I don't know why you're so surprised, Davis. You knew we weren't staying married."

"I know. But still… you guys were good together. Add in Marissa, and you guys were the cute little family."

"And we always will be, regardless of our marital status. I have no doubt that there's a girl out there for Brent. And I can't stand in the way of that. Besides, the longer we wait, the harder it will be for Missy."

Brooke clasped Peyton's hand in hers. "Have you guys told her yet?"

"No," Peyton sighed. "I don't know how well that conversation is going to go. She's so young and I don't know how much she's gonna understand."

Brooke squeezed her hand. "It's going to be alright, P. Just remember, I'm here for you."

And for that, Peyton was grateful. Paying the cheque, the girls headed out to TRIC for some drinks before going home.

* * *


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: WHOA! Almost four months? Sorry guys. But I'm still here and determined to finish this.

* * *

News of Peyton's divorce reached Lucas 3 days later. According to Haley, she overheard Owen and Brooke whispering about it when they dropped Jamie off after a trip to the zoo. Lucas wasn't quite sure why Haley told him, but he was glad she did, because he was pretty sure Peyton wasn't going to tell him herself.

So now the question remained: what should he do? _Do I leave her alone? Bump into her on purpose and hope she told him?_ Lucas scoffed at that idea in his head. _'Riiight, Scott. Like Peyton is just gonna say, 'Hi, Luke. Brent and I are getting divorced'_. Peyton wasn't like that. You usually had to drag things out of her.

He decided to leave it be. He wasn't quite sure where he stood with the curly blond anyways; they didn't explode into argument in each other's presence anymore, but they weren't quite friends either.

Lucas knew without a doubt, that he loved her; knew that Peyton Sawyer was his 'one'. But he also knew, better than anyone, that she didn't let people in that easily. And after everything that had happened between them, he was sure that when it came to him, her walls were firmly in place and higher than ever.

_And why wouldn't they be_, he mused. From the moment he entered her life, he started chipping away at the barrier around her heart, until finally, she let herself love him. She gave her heart to him, unconditionally, and he broke it.

He cursed himself for the millionth time for being so careless with her feelings and her heart. From here on out, everything that would happen between him and Peyton was solely up to her. Lucas knew she loved him, but he also knew that he needed to be patient with her.

_Well, that settles it_, he thought. _Forget 'Eugene', as of this moment my middle name will be 'Patient'._

**XXXXXX**

Later that afternoon, Lucas sat in his office at Tree Hill High going over plays for the Ravens. School started in another two weeks, which meant a new basketball season; and Lucas was determined to take them to the State Championship this year. Last season, the Ravens missed the finals by 3 points.

Finishing the last play, he tipped his head back to lay on the headrest, and he closed his eyes. A moment later, his eyes popped open at the sound of heels clicking against tiles. He briefly wondered who that could be. Summer classes ended an hour ago, and he was pretty sure he was the only one in the buliding. _Except for the janitor, but I doubt he's a cross dresser._

His curiosity was sated when the love of his life appeared in the doorway. He tried extra hard not to show how pleased this made him.

"Peyton...hi. What are you doing here?" _Oh God, did that sound totally rude?_

If it did, she showed no signs of it. "I hope you don't mind. I was putting some flyers up and I saw your car."

"No, no," he said quickly, "it's fine. What are you advertising?"

Sitting down across from him, she pulled a flyer out of her bag and handed it to him. "Well I was sitting in my office a couple of days ago and this idea just popped into my head."

"Friends with Benefit concert?" he asked.

"Ya. You know the first one was a huge success back in high school, and I figured it didn't have to be a one-time thing. It's for a good cause. Why not make it a yearly event?"

_God I love this woman._ He smlied at the thought before remembering that she was probably watching him, and he didn't want to look like a love-struck fool.

"Peyton, that's amazing. Ellie would be proud."

She looked away as she blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, Luke." Looking back at him, she remembered why she really came. "Um, actually... I came by to congratulate you on a job well done. I read your second book."

Lucas felt his heart flutter. "You did? What did you think?"

The blond smiled, "It's an incredible piece of work , Luke."

"You really think so?" he asked.

"Of course. I mean when you first read the words, you're thinking, 'Ok, so he's a scientist and he sees this ball of gas that somehow changes his life for a moment in time.' But it's the meaning behind the words that give the reader the impression that it's not just about some guy and a comet."

"It's about a guy that sees something so beautiful and amazing that it changes his life forever. It renews his faith, and gives him a sense of purpose and hope. It's an epic love story." She continued, seeing as she had Lucas' full attention. "Heaven only knows where you got your inspiration from, Luke, but wherever it came from..."

Lucas felt his heart sink a little. Up until that point, he was avidly listening to Peyton talk. But he stopped listening when she mentioned his inspiration. _She doesn't know. She doesn't get it._

He was so concentrated on that thought that he interrupted her, not thinking about what he was saying, "It's you."

Peyton stopped talking when Lucas blurted out those two words. For a moment she was taken back to that night at the State Championship. Breaking from her memories, she looked at the blond in front of her.

"Um..what?"

_Suck it up, Lucas._ " I...Peyton, you're...you're my inspiration."

She was at a loss for words. "I don't...Lucas, I don't understand." How exactly did her and science coincide?

He wasn't prepared to explain. He just assumed that Peyton would realize he wrote another book based on her. But it looked lke he would have to wing it.

"Peyt, since _Ravens_ was published, I hadn't written anything. And suddenly you come back, and I can't seem to stop. I wrote and I wrote, until I realized I didn't really know where I wanted the story to go. And then you left to go on tour; and I just knew that I wanted you to come back. I **needed** you to come back. At one point, I didn't think you would ever return. And just like that I knew where to take my story."

Standing up, he walked around his desk to kneel in front of her. Looking up into her green eyes, he continued. "I had to hope and believe that you would come back."

As the last words left his mouth, Lucas saw her eyes cloud over. In that moment, he knew. He knew she was going to run.

He followed her movements as she stood up and backed away. "I-I...I have to go," she mumbled. Casting her eyes to the floor, Peyton turned around and practically sped out of the room.

The young author didn't chase after her. He knew her well enough to know she would come back when she was ready. And this time he wouldn't do anything stupid to screw that up.

* * *


End file.
